Rachel and Nico
by leighbenz9000
Summary: Perhaps the two most stubborn people in the world, Rachel Elizabeth Dare and Nico di Angelo never got along. Yet all of a sudden they find themselves inexplicably attracted to one another. Series of sequential oneshots. Cute, fluffy, and funny. Post-TLO from Rachel's POV. Rachel/Nico. Percabeth undertones.
1. Painted Smiles

**A/N: This is my first FanFiction story. Any comments or ideas for story lines that you guys want to read are greatly appreciated. I'll try to update as soon as possible. Hope you all enjoy!**

Considering my right hand is covered in paint, I attempt to use my nearly paint-free left hand to tie my hair into a bun. It comes out sloppy and frizzy red strands fall to the side of my face. Momentarily forgetting about the paint, I brush them away, leaving a wet trail of blue across my cheek. I sigh and go back to dabbing small dots across the canvas. I am trying to draw the Camp Half-Blood Lake, but it doesn't look quite right yet…._ It needs more green._

All of a sudden a voice comes out of nowhere.

"I think it could use some more black."

I jump forward, and as a result my hand violently flies to the right. A line of green stretches across the picture, effectively ruining the scene.

"Hades Nico!" I sneer. "Look what you've done now."

I turn around to see the tall demigod looming over me, scrutinizing my work. His jet-black hair covers his eyes, so he has to crane his neck up to see the painting. Using a pale hand he pushes his hair off his face and looks down at me. His dark eyes sweep over my face, and his mouth twists into a sort of half grimace, half smile. _Is he smiling?_ My hands start flattening out my shirt before I realize what I'm doing. I ball them into tight fists and put them at my sides.

He cocks his head to the side and snickers.

"Feeling a little blue, Dare?"

_Crap. The paint. _My hand flies up to my face, leaving a handprint of green over the blue. _I must look like a freaking clown._

"What do you want?" I reply nonchalantly.

"Chiron wants to see you in the Big House. Some sort of meeting with the heads of the cabins. I don't know why that includes you, but he told me to get you. Everyone's waiting," he says with a shrug.

"Does that mean you're going too?" I ask. _What. Am. I. Saying? _I smack my hand over my mouth, covering my lips in more paint.

"Eughh. It got in my mouth! The paint. Gross! Get it out! Get it out!" I start running around and spitting and basically looking like a moron. This sends Nico into hysterical fits of laugher.

"Itsh's all your f-f-fshault!" I cry, coming chest to chest with him. I stand on my tippy toes, trying to seem bigger. Why does he have to be so tall? He's only sixteen but he already has a foot on me. Plus, I'm four years older. Stupid genetics.

"My fault?" He raises an eyebrow and glares at me.

"Yeah."

"How so?"

"It's called, not popping up and scaring people while they're working!"

He rolls his eyes. "Nice comeback, Dare."

I shove him backwards, two green handprints perfectly visible on his black leather jacket. His jaw drops.

"You did _not_ just do that," his eyes flash.

I try not to be scared, but he looks so intimidating. Hulking over me, he takes off the jacket and holds it up, assessing the damage. It turns out he is wearing a black tee shirt underneath. What a surprise. And of course, I definitely don't notice his huge biceps and how the shirt fits him so nicely….

"It's ruined!" he sulks, making me grin. "That was my favorite jacket."

"Just wash it. Grow up, di Angelo." It takes my best effort to suppress the giggle that bubbles to my lips.

"Just because you're four years older, doesn't make me a baby."

"It totally does."

"Shut up."

"You brought it up."

"Did not."

Just to prove my point, I reach up and tousle his hair.

"Rachel!" he whines. Suddenly, a slow smile spreads across his lips, and his eyes glint like a madman. With one easy swoop, he picks me up and starts walking to the lake.

"Nico," I gasp, kicking and screaming. "Put. Me. Down. This. Instant." I wipe my hands all over his face. Obviously, if the paint bothered him before, it doesn't now. He ignores my angry attempts to get him to stop. My hands leave marks all over his jaw and his neck. His skin is oddly smooth.

"If you throw me into the lake, so help me gods, I will kill you!" I screech.

"Who's the baby now?" he mutters.

"Nico. Put. Me. Down!" I sound like a bratty four-year-old. Whatever. He will definitely pay for this.

He pauses when he gets to the edge of the lake. Using some paint from his chin that hasn't dried, he dabs his finger and draws a smiley face on my cheek. His finger is freezing, like death itself, which is _totally_ why a shiver crawls down my spine. I reach up to touch my face where he did, and blush.

At this, his eyebrows furrow together and he gives me a weird glare. _He's about to say something. _ It looks like he's struggling for the right words. After a few seconds he decides against voicing whatever he wanted to say. He bites his lip and frowns.

"Fine, I will."

I feel his muscles extend underneath me, and with one easy push he tosses me into the lake.

* * *

When I resurface, I start yelling about Nico's his father will seem like a fluffy kitty compared to me. Apparently, the god of death doesn't like being called a kitten, so the comment is responded with an angry rumble of thunder. I cast a weary look back to shore, expecting to find Nico, but there's nothing. He's gone.

_Gods, I hate that kid._


	2. Blood and Boyfriends

**A/N: Thanks to everyone who checked out the last chapter. Hope you all like this one as well :)**

_I got up at five-fifteen on a Monday for this_?

Before the summer started, Chiron agreed to let me teach a demigod art class, and I insisted that the first meeting be early so the students could paint the sunrise. It's the most beautiful time of the day, and plus I'm a morning person so I don't mind too much.

It turns out that most of the campers that signed up don't feel the same way.

I wait out by the edge of the woods, where we all had agreed to meet. Fifteen minutes have gone by, but I am only greeted with silence; no one has shown up.

Suddenly a dark figure appears in the shadows next to me. He leans against a tree and rubs his eyes; it looks like he has practically rolled out of bed. Sighing, he glares at me, not making a sound.

"Go away," I say dryly, not in the mood to talk after the lake incident.

"Do you mean me? Or all the other people who cared enough to get up this early?" he replies innocently, his voice dripping with sarcasm.

"No need to make fun," I look down at my feet, not letting him see the stupid smile on my lips. _He said he cares. He actually cares enough to come._

"Besides, I decided to make peace after, uhmmm, tossing you in the lake. It's not like I actually have any interest in, you know, art." He grimaces at that sentence and rubs the back of his neck awkwardly.

"If you think this makes up for your childish and completely unnecessary behavior, then you're delusional, idiot." I spit back. I still hadn't forgiven him for that.

"Fine, then I guess I'll be _normal_ and go back to sleep." He turns around and beings to stalk back to the cabins. I'll admit that stung a little bit.

"Hey, wait!" I call after him. "I have all this art stuff. And plus I'm not cancelling now. You can be my first student!" I run up to him and tug on his arm. I guess it's because he's the one person on Earth who was as stubborn as I am, so he understands that I don't want to give up on the art classes.

"Fine. Whatever. How long will this take?"

"Don't worry, just enough time to paint a few rainbows and unicorns." I giggle, earning me a much deserved and well overdue eye roll.

"You're so annoying. Why did I come again?"

"Because you love me," I respond sarcastically, leaning over to grab two easels, canvasses, and some paint and paintbrushes. I lift them up, but my hand ends up at such a weird angle that the can of paintbrushes I'm holding empties into the grass. I curse and bend over to clean up the mess, which causes the canvasses to slide out from under my arms.

Meanwhile, Nico is watching this with a look of amusement on his face. He walks over and starts taking everything out of my arms.

"Give that back! I can carry it all!" I yelp.

"Don't be a moron Rachel, just give it to me."

Oh, there is _no _way I am giving in that easily. I tighten my grip, but that doesn't stop him. He starts yanking everything out of my hands.

"Ouch!" I scream, suddenly dropping everything. A long strip of wood from one of the easels had splintered off, creating a bloody gash on the inside of my arm. "Ow, ow, ow, that really hurts." My eyes well up with tears and I look ashamedly at my shoes again. Blood spills all over one of the blank canvasses.

He grabs me immediately, one hand touching my shoulder and the other holding my arm up. "Oh my gods, Rach, are you ok? I swear that was an accident. Oh gods, you're bleeding so much. I'm so sorry." The hand that was on my shoulder reaches for my chin and tilts it up. I sniffle and try to wipe away the tears.

"It's fine Nico, I know you didn't mean it. Gods, you're right, I'm the baby," I snort. _Stop crying Rachel. You look so stupid. _ But when I think if how irritating I must be to him, the tears just come harder. I pointedly look away from his eyes.

"Rachel, your arm looks like it's about to fall off, I would be surprised if you were fine. Come back to my cabin, I have some Band-Aids or something I think…" he trails off, not really sure what to say.

"Ummm, that's not really allowed, is it?" I mutter something about the rules. I'm pretty sure girls aren't allowed in a guy's cabin alone.

"I don't think anyone will catch us this early, besides, we have a real excuse." He frowns as he thinks of something. "Unless…. you don't want to come."

_What the hell is he saying? _Another prickle of pain shoots through my arm and I whimper. He gives me an alarmed look and winces. "Don't make me carry you again." One deep brown eyebrow rises as if to challenge me.

"I'm walking," I say weakly, and to prove my point take an exaggerated step forewords. He picks up the art supplies and follows closely behind.

A few minutes later we arrive at his cabin. I've only been inside a few times before. The dark door seems unwelcoming and cruel. Inside, it's not much better; the air is damp and chilly. To my surprise, the room is impeccably neat, almost nothing out of place. I think about my room, pretty sure the last time I cleaned it was a month ago.

"Sorry about my bed, I was in a bit of a rush this morning," he says. I glance over at the bed that had been hastily made. Smiling, I walk over and sit on the edge, cradling my arm against my chest. Nico pauses and stares at me for a few seconds, shifting his weight from foot to foot uncomfortably.

"The Band-Aids…" I remind him, giving him a snarky look.

"Oh, right." He sweeps over to the back of the room and grabs a red case from his bookshelf. Silently, he sits down next to me and opens it up, displaying the contents. Again he grabs my arm, but is unsure of how to proceed. At least the blood doesn't seem to faze him at all, I guess since he's the son of the death god he's used to some pretty gruesome things.

"Well, it shouldn't need stiches, so some antibiotic cream is fine. And then just cover it with gauze," I encourage him quietly. "Apollo has rubbed off on me, I guess." He follows my directions without a sound, spreading a thin cover of cream onto my arm. All is well until he starts to wrap up the wound. He squeezes the bandage too tight, causing me to flinch back. _Not the tears again. _

"I'm sorry, sorry sorry." He unwraps it as fast as he can and holds my arm gingerly between his hands. His pale skin feels nice against my hot arm and I sigh contentedly.

"No, that feels nice. Just stay like that." Suddenly, the pain and the lack of sleep get to me and I sag against his body. _What am I doing? I hate Nico and he hates me. _Nico stiffens but doesn't shake me off, which is completely odd for him. Usually he hates any kind of physical contact, especially with me.

I take this as a good sign and lean my head against his shoulder. He has this earthy smell that I can't quite describe, but it calms me down considerably.

I'm not sure how long we stay like that, me drifting in and out of sleep; Nico, unwavering, rubbing one cool finger up and down my arm tantalizingly.

* * *

Eventually I guess I fall asleep, because I wake up a few hours later on top of a strange bed. I breathe in deeply, trying to place the sweet and calming smell. It smells like Nico… Nico? _What the hell?_ Forgetting that I am in his room, I shoot up like the bed is full of death itself. _Haha funny Rachel. Really funny._

I stand up and yawn. Nico is passed out on the bed next to me. Silently, I walk over, but the floorboards start to squeak. He starts to stir, and before he wakes up completely I catapult myself and land directly on top of him.

"I didn't do it Dad, it wasn't me!" he screams, sitting up like he had been sleeping on hot coals. This causes me to snicker. "Someone's feeling better," he groans, standing up and stretching.

My arm is now completely wrapped in a clean layer of white gauze. I wiggle my fingers and give him a thumbs-up, grinning.

"You really scared me earlier Dare, you never cry like that."

"I swear if you start making fun of me…" he slaps a hand over my mouth. I try to rip it off, but he holds it firmly.

"Just listen for once, would it really kill you? I was actually worried. Don't…. don't do that again."

"Sorry?" I reply as he releases me, confused if he wants an apology, considering it was mostly his fault. He didn't have to help me if he didn't want to.

"You don't get it, do you?" he laughs softly. Well, it's not really laughing, but it's as close as Nico gets.

"Get what?" I say.

"I…. I…" he falters, unable to get the words out. _Just say it! _

He sets his mouth in a hard line and glares at me. Slowly he bends down until his face is just inches away.

"Wanna hang out sometime?" he says, his breath mixing with mine. I stare at him wide eyed and nod mutely.

Sighing, he pulls up his sleeve and checks his watch. 8:05am. We hear the first of the campers exit their cabins and head to breakfast.

"You hungry?" he asks, roughly grabbing my hand and entwining his fingers in mine. I can't help but notice how small my hand feels inside his. He looks at me and I swear he's blushing.

"I guess a little," I say cheekily.

He grins and pulls me by my bad arm out the cabin door.


	3. A Dare from Dare

**A/N: Thanks so much to everyone who reviewed. Your comments absolutely made my week! The chapters are starting off short but they should get longer moving forwards. Thanks again and enjoy :)**

The air is chilly for a summer morning and a thick layer of ominous clouds block the sun from view. I know it won't rain at camp because we don't get weather here, but there is a static feeling in the air. It's the kind of day where you find yourself uneasy and edgy, often staring off into the distance and suddenly jumping back to reality. Everyone gets up a few minutes late, the sluggishness almost palpable in the atmosphere.

Yet, I am ecstatic. As I go—or rather skip— to the pavilion for breakfast, the wind whips my cheeks, turning them a rosy red. My red hair dances in the breezy air like fire. A strand lands on top of my nose and, giving it a cross-eyed look, I blow it off.

At breakfast I take some Frosted Flakes, dump a couple, _ok five_, spoons of sugar in it, and look around for a table. Being the Oracle, I am not assigned a cabin and therefore don't have a mandatory table to sit at. Usually, I alternate between Percy and Annabeth's tables, depending on who I have the patience for that particular day. As a rule, I used to strictly avoid the Hades table because Nico and I never really got along. Before.

Yesterday was the first time I broke that rule, and frankly, I hope it becomes a pattern.

Of course, it's not official or anything. He just asked me to hang out. That doesn't really mean anything. Friends hang out all the time. But do friends hold hands? Just the thought of that sends a warm feeling through my chest, making my heart beat a little faster. I mull over that feeling for a while, rocking back and forth on my heels.

"Are you gonna, eughhh, get something?" A gruff voice asks between a yawn. I turn to place a face to the voice and am rewarded with hot breath hitting me in the face. It's a Hephaestus kid. He motions to the drink dispenser that I'm clearly blocking.

"Oh, I'm _so_ sorry!" I reply, flashing him a huge smile. Already I am buzzing with energy, but I fill up a huge cup of black coffee for good measure. The kid rolls his eyes and nudges me forwards, taking my place. _Jerk. _Juggling a mug in one hand and the cereal in another, I walk over to the fire pit and dump a few spoons of my cereal into the fire.

I direct my prayers to Apollo, as usual, because I guess he's the Oracle god and he's generally a really cool guy.

Quickly, I turn around towards the rest of the camp. They're oddly silent today. My eyes travel over to the Hades table where I see a tall, lanky kid, dressed in all black, sitting alone. I freeze for a few seconds until he looks up. He gives me a half smile and tilts his head to the left, indicating I come sit with him.

I take deliberately slow steps because I know that if I lose control I'll end up running across the pavilion to Nico. Strangely, I feel butterflies in my stomach, and gnaw at the inside of my cheek. _Don't be nervous, it's just Nico._

"Hey," he says as I sit across from him. I watch him finish off his chocolate chip pancakes. He seems oddly tired, his eyes are glazed over and stare unfocused at his plate.

"Hi Nico!" I chase the few remaining bites of cereal around with my spoon. After I finish, I start drumming my fingers on the table rapidly, unsure what to say from there. Our table is dead silent aside from the _click, click, click_ of my fingers against the wood.

"Rachel," he moans and covers my hand with one of his, pressing my palm flat against the table. I notice he doesn't remove his hand from mine and it makes me happy.

"What's up with you?" I say as he runs his other hand through his black hair, causing it to stick up in different directions. "You look like something the cat dragged in."

"I didn't sleep at all last night, Rachel." He rolls his shoulders back and sighs.

"Why not?"

"It's complicated. And I have such a bad headache."

"I have _such_ a bad headache," I mimic, my voice raising a few octaves. Suddenly, I have an idea. I hold up my nearly untouched cup of coffee and wiggle my eyebrows.

"I'm sure this will help." I place it down in front of him. He looks at me like I'm crazy.

"Black? Besides, I don't drink coffee, it's gross," he says. He sniffs it, winces, and pushes it across the table.

"C'mon di Angelo, I dare you. Just take a sip."

"Oh, so Dare dares me? I guess I just _have_ to do it then," he laughs to himself.

"Wimp," I take the coffee cup and take a huge sip, just to annoy him.

"Fine, give it to me." He throws his hands up in the air and reaches across to take it from me.

I slide it out of his reach.

"I thought you didn't want to drink it?" I giggle.

"I just don't want to end up as energetic and psychotic as you." Regardless, he leans across me and snatches the cup away. He shakes it in front of his face, watching the black liquid quiver in the cup. I snort.

"Nico, face to face with the coffee. What will he do?" I broadcast to no one in particular. Giving it a sour look, he downs the rest of the cup in a single gulp and freezes.

"No big deal," I say, scanning his face for any signs of weakness, waiting for his reaction.

"'s not so bad," he shrugs, keeping his face perfectly emotionless. I turn to give a fake cough.

When he thinks I'm not looking, he sticks out his tongue and gags.

* * *

After breakfast we meet up with Percy and Annabeth outside. They have been dating practically since the day Percy fulfilled the prophecy.

Percy whispers something in her ear and she pokes his stomach. He grabs her hand on the way back to her side and spins her around. Deliriously happy, he gives her a kiss on the nose, which she returns with a jab to his side. All of a sudden they start kissing in the middle of camp. Lovebirds.

Nico and I simultaneously groan.

We walk over, unsure whether or not to interrupt. I notice that Nico is almost Percy's height, despite the fact that he is so much younger.

"Guys, is that really necessary in front of the whole camp?" Nico complains, making a face as Annabeth fixes her hair.

"To think you two saved the world," I pipe in, sniggering.

"Oh excuse me, Kronos, can you wait just a bit to destroy the world? I haven't seen my girlfriend in a whole five minutes," says Nico, mocking Percy.

Nico and I don't agree on much, but we always manage to get along when it comes to making fun of the two of them.

"Oh shut up you two," Percy chuckles, pushing his hair out of his sea green eyes. "I swear you both act like you're four."

Annabeth, I'm surprised, hasn't made any sort of rude comment. In synch, Nico and I follow her eyes down to our hands, which are locked tightly together.

Nico drops my hand like it had just stung him, but it's too late.

"OH. MY. GODS," she shrieks. "ARE YOU TWO GOING OUT?"

"What? Me and Dare? No way!" Nico stammers.

"In other words, yes," I say.

Annabeth proceeds to spaz out, jumping up and down and tugging on Percy's arm. Percy just stares at us with his mouth open.

"I—I don't get it," he says giving us a weird look.

"Seriously Seaweed Brain? Sometimes I swear you're a moron. Rachel and Nico are dating," she says slowly, emphasizing each word in the last sentence.

"But they hate each other!" he insists.

"I agree with Percy," I laugh. "I can't stand to be around you for more than a few minutes." I smirk at Nico.

He gives me a mischievous look, finally over his shyness. "I hate you too, Rachel." The wind picks up and he shoves his hands into his pocket.

I wrap my arms around one of his and I swear Annabeth practically faints.


	4. The Mouse

**A/N: Hi Everyone! Sorry for the long wait for this chapter... I don't really love this one so tell me what you guys think. Also, the drawing for this story was done by my friend. She's really awesome and she did a great job so take a look at that. Ok, thanks!**

I watch silently from across the arena as Nico spars with Percy. Percy is an incredible swordsman and easily deflects Nico's attacks, one after another, like it's a game. Frustrated, Nico starts to swing harder. His strikes become less precise, less planned, and more angry and irrational.

_Dummy, you're only getting yourself tired._

Nico pushes Percy back a few feet to the corner of the arena, but with a few blocks and carefully strategized moves, Percy practically dances out of the way and circles around, cornering Nico in return.

Nico thrusts forwards, but Percy blocks down. Timed to the second, he twists his arm around, ripping the blade from Nico's hand. Smiling triumphantly, he places his sword under Nico's chin.

Unhappy, Nico raises his arms and tilts his chin up.

"Maybe one of these days you'll beat me, kid," says Percy, stooping down to hand Nico his weapon. They both walk over to the cooler to get some water.

Nico proceeds to ask a torrent of questions about technique and timing and other stuff that I don't really understand or care about.

Both of them are sitting on a bench, their swords resting against the wall. Still, they haven't seen me, which inspires me to do what I do best. Annoy people. I sneak up behind them and carefully tie their shoelaces to the bench. Hardly suppressing a laugh, I stand up behind them and freeze. Meanwhile, they are deep into a debate about whether or not a dolphin would make a good pet.

"They're so cute!" insists Percy. "Plus you can ride them and they make these adorable squeaking noises."

"Too annoying," mutters Nico. "An eel would definitely be much cooler."

"Hey guys!" I burst in their ears, causing them to jump. Due to my brilliant pranking skills, Nico flies forwards and lands face down in the dirt. Percy immediately lands on top of him, which causes Nico to grunt.

"Ooof! Get off! I can't breathe! GET OFF!" he wheezes, banging his fists on the ground like a child throwing a tantrum. Percy scrambles to his feet, followed by Nico, and they both turn around to see who caused all the chaos.

"Rachel," Percy states, brushing the dirt off of his clothes. It floats in front of my face and causes me to cough.

"Why am I not surprised?" Nico continues, but he doesn't seem angry. In fact, he looks generally happy that I'm there.

Being the totally mature twenty-year-old I am, I stick my tongue out at them.

Percy looks at his watch. "Oh crap! I have to go meet… uhmm… someone. Bye guys!" He pockets Riptide and runs out, a trail of dust following him.

"Annabeth," we both say, turning towards each other.

"Telepathy," I say, giving him a weird look.

"You're the Oracle, you knew I was going to say that," he states.

"Oh, obviously," I joke, sarcasm leaking into my voice.

He reaches for his Stygian iron sword against the wall, and flips it around in his hand. I shudder just looking at the thing. It's deathly sharp, black, and has one simple purpose: to kill. I shy away as he waves it around.

Suddenly I get an idea.

"Hey Nico, capture the flag is this Friday, and I want to play for once. Teach me how to use a sword?" I ask playfully.

"Rachel Dare with a weapon? Not a chance. How stupid do you think I am?" he replies. Nice. Real nice.

"Rachel Elizabeth Dare," I correct him. "And haha, you're so funny. Now are you gonna teach me or not? I was hoping I could be on your team."

He grins. "Your initials spell red. R-E-D. Like your hair!"

"Wow, Nico. Like I haven't heard that one before," I clap my hands over my mouth in fake surprise and give an overdramatic gasp. He shrugs and walks over to the spare swords.

It takes a few minutes to find one that feels right in my hands. After some debate, I pick a long thin one. I grasp its handle and feel the cool metal in my hands. The blade glimmers in the sunlight and the balance, weight, and size are perfect. I take a few practice swings, whipping the blade around me.

"This is easy!" I exclaim. The next thing I know, the blade flies out of my hand and clatters to the ground next to Nico's foot. He presses his palm against his forehead and pulls down the right side of his face.

"Gods help me," he prays.

"Sorry!" I wince as he glares at me. I walk over to retrieve the sword, only to find Nico's foot pressing it to the ground.

"Hey, give it!" I say. "Oh c'mon Nico, I was just joking before."

"Rachel, just watch for a few minutes," he says, cracking his knuckles. "Please," he adds as an afterthought.

He shows me a few simple strikes and blocks. It looks easy enough. I follow along slowly, getting used to the steadiness of the sword and the way it feels with each strike. It's alive in my hands, a little heavy, but not uncomfortable, sort of like an extension of my arm. I feel powerful, unyielding. Nico watches me maneuver each strike carefully.

"Very good," he says. "But you're such an artist. Don't try to make it flow, just be natural. Especially when you're playing capture the flag. There's no time for looking nice. Although you," he clears his throat, "look pretty damn good." He looks at the ground.

"Did you just call me good looking?" My mouth falls to the floor.

"Whatever. Wanna spar?" He gets into a ridiculous pose, the point of his sword staring me in the eye.

"Where is Nico and what have you done with him?" I mutter. Still stunned, I walk over.

We spar lightly and Nico wins every time. He's not one of those guys who is all cute and lets me beat him, which is fine with me; he's giving me a challenge. I try to make it a little hard on him. I guess I do a good job, because both of us work up a sweat. After about an hour I get really tired and ask for a water break and he agrees.

The air is humid and sticky, and we sit next to each other on the small bench. Nico lifts up the bottom of his black shirt to wipe his flushed face, revealing his stunning abs. I realize he has gotten really built-up throughout the past few months. It takes all my willpower to tear my eyes away and look at the ground.

Which is when I see it.

I scream and launch myself onto Nico's lap.

"A MOUSE! THERE'S A MOUSE. GET IT AWAY. GET IT AWAY. OH MY GODS! NICO!" The screams pierce my throat but I don't stop. "I. HATE. MICE!" The mouse crawls directly under us and I curl into his chest.

Nico looks at me, mortified.

"Please?" My eyes water. "I hate it! I hate it!"

He uses his legs to shoo the mouse away. It scurries around frantically until it finds a hole in the side of the arena. It takes me a few minutes to regain my breath.

Nico pries my face out of his chest and, using an unsteady finger, wipes the tears out of my eyes. I didn't know it was possible for your heart to slide up your throat, but I'm pretty sure mine does.

"Rachel, the girl who has no problem throwing a hairbrush at Kronos, a Titan about to destroy the world, is scared of a mouse?" he says it gently.

"It's a long story," my voice wavers. My head is still resting in his palm and I'm staring him in the eyes.

"Go on," he urges, half curious and half concerned. I gape into his dark eyes and find lose my train of thought.

"Well," I squeak, my voice hitching in my throat. "You know how, I kinda don't get along well with my parents? Well, when I was little, I would always go to my grandma's house. She was the sweetest lady and I loved her more than anything. She never fussed about how I should act, or dress, or look. She never complained about how I was not a fit young lady. My mom and dad always had these huge expectations for me, but I didn't want to be like them. She never cared about any of that, and was the only person who saw me for… me." I imagine her old, wrinkled face, soft from years of smiling. I loved the way her eyes crinkled when she clucked at me for putting my feet up on the couch or giggling at the dinner table. I let out another sob, which sends a rippling pain through my chest. "Anyway, she was very old, and started to lose her hearing. She had violent nightmares and, over time, forgot who my parents were, even her own son. But she never forgot me. The last day I visited her was normal, but I knew something was wrong. I guess I was having a vision at the time, or whatever, but I somehow _knew_ I wouldn't see her again. A week later she saw a mouse in her dresser and had a heart attack. The mice just remind me of her," I conclude.

By the time I finish, I have already lost my voice from the crying. I'm such an emotional wreck lately; I'm surprised he can even put up with me. I rub my eyes against my shoulder, feeling like such a watery mess. I don't know what has gotten into me, but I promise myself no more crying from here on out.

He doesn't ask me any more questions, which I'm grateful for. For once he has the sense not to pry. Instead, he keeps rubbing my back like an infant. Slowly the crying stops and is replaced by a tiring numbness.

"Sorry I jumped on your lap," I say gruffly, sliding back over to my seat. My voice sounds like it has been hacked by a chainsaw.

I rub my throat and give a hoarse laugh, causing him to smile. I don't know how he does it, but just that small gesture means the world to me.

"Hey," I say, raising one eyebrow. "What are _you_ scared of?" I ask. My voice trails off by the end of the sentence in to a barely audible whisper.

"None of your business," he replies, giving me a cocky grin.

"Not fair!" I rasp.

"I think I like you better when you can't talk."

_You suck. _I mouth.


	5. Rico!

**A/N: Another update yay! I actually never meant for this to be a continuous story but that seems to be where it's going so I'll stick with it... this is a short chapter and then I promise a long one next. TELL ME WHAT YOU THINK! Thanks :)**

Almost faint, I practically fall onto the bench. Resting my head on my arms, I give Annabeth a sideways glare. She walks slowly around the table, hardly affected from the jog.

Two whole miles. My lungs feel like they have been ground in a blender and stitched back together. Annabeth keeps circling me, like a hawk, until her breathing returns to normal.

Not like it ever even got that fast. Two miles was nothing for her.

"You should really walk it off," she says casually, trying not to sound pushy. "Sitting down after exercising isn't good for you."

I sigh. "Sitting is fine for me." There is _no_ way I'm getting up and walking around after all of that.

She flops down on the bench next from me. _Thank the gods she stopped jumping around. _

"I have a few minutes before I have to meet Percy at the beach. I would get showered but I think we'll go swimming. But he can, you know, keep me dry. What do you think?"

"My gosh, you two can hardly spend a few minutes apart," I joke. "And I would stay how you are. You look pretty sexy." We both laugh at that and I halfheartedly punch her shoulder.

"Speaking of relationships," she begins, "you and Nico. I can honestly say that even _I_ didn't see that coming." She flashes me a huge smile that, I swear, reaches both her ears.

I look down and feel a blush crawling up my neck. "Honestly, I didn't see it coming either."

"You're blushing! Tell me how it happened, all the details, every moment, everything!"

I pretend to give a groan, but am secretly excited inside. It's funny how romantic Annabeth has become ever since she started dating Percy.

"Well, we always hated each other, or so I thought. I mean, we're complete opposites. But one day I noticed how we're really not that different. I know it sounds cheesy but our fights are always harmless. There's something about him that I just," I pause, "can't get enough of."

She raises her eyebrows and smirks. "I know what you mean. I just can't believe it. A new—in love—side of Rachel. This is incredible!"

"This doesn't mean that I'm going to stop making fun of Percabeth," I giggle. She rolls her eyes, having heard that one many times before.

"What should I call you guys? Nichel?"

I shake my head. "Rico, definitely Rico."

"Okay," she agrees, letting out a bright, bubbly laugh. She shakes out her long blonde hair and pulls it back into a ponytail.

"Wait, can I French braid it?" I beg. She gives me a doubtful look. "Please? You'll look gorgeous!"

I give her puppy dog eyes and curl my lower lip down. After a few seconds, she gives in and I squeal. I walk behind her and get to work.

"So," she keeps going. I feel like I'm being interrogated. "Have you two _kissed_?" She says the last word in a hushed whisper.

I scowl and give a light yank on her hair, causing her to cringe.

"Not yet," I say, finishing off the braid. "We haven't even really gone on a date."

"Well of course not silly, you're at camp. Although, can't Nico like, shadow travel? You two should totally go somewhere for a night. Percy and I can cover for you if you want."

I give her an appreciative smile and tell her I'll notify her if anything comes up.

"You look gorgeous with the braid," I add truthfully. She's absolutely stunning, her golden hair lying elegantly on her shoulder. With a pang I realize how much I pale in comparison. "Percy is a lucky guy."

She laughs, "So is Nico." We both blush.

We chat for a few minutes about other things, until Annabeth takes her leave. As she walks away, she remembers something and calls back over her shoulder, "Fourth of July is in less than a week. I bet he'll ask you to go with him. Perce already asked me!"

I look down at my thumbs and hope.

* * *

The rest of the day I have a completely free schedule. I go back to my room to find a canvas waiting for me at the door. When I get there I see that it's the canvas covered in my blood from a few weeks ago when Nico accidentally sliced my arm. I wrinkle my nose at how gruesome it looks and place it facing the wall in my room.

Picking through the heaps of dirt clothes scattered on the floor, I find a pair of clean shorts and a tank top. I scoop them up and make my way to the shower.

Of course I run into Nico while I'm a sweaty mess. I pull my hair into a bun and try to look decent.

He looks absolutely gorgeous, his black hair shining in the sunlight. It falls just above his eyes and he flicks it out of the way.

"Hey, what's up?" he asks, giving me a sweeping glance. I feel extremely self-conscious. Still, simply talking to him turns my legs to jelly.

"Um, I was actually just going to take a shower," I say apologetically.

"That's probably a good idea, you have something in your hair." I turn bright read and pat my head, searching for whatever he was talking about unsuccessfully. He reaches over and pulls a few leaves out.

"Sorry," I say quietly. Since when do I apologize to Nico?

"Nothing to be sorry for. But, out of curiosity, what were you doing? Playing hide-and-seek in the bushes?"

I boast my chest out. "I actually went for a two mile jog with Annabeth. In the woods, which explains the leaves."

"Oh gods Rach, did you fall off the path?"

"You're so funny Nico, really." I try to stay angry, but when he calls me Rach I melt a little inside. If anyone else did it I would probably kill him or her, but I don't seem to mind right now.

"You're the best boyfriend," I say sarcastically, trying to make him feel bad.

"Did you just call me your boyfriend?" his eyebrows shoot up and the corner of his mouth twitches.

My heart drops. "Oh gods, Nico, I'm sorry if I rushed it. I didn't mean to call you that, like, if you know, it's not like that. I mean, I totally get it if that's not where we are now." The words spill out of my mouth.

"Does that make you my girlfriend?" he interrupts, looking amused.

"Only if you want," my fingers prickle and I ball them into fists.

"I kinda like it, what about you?"

"'s not so bad." I look at the floor, feeling slightly nauseous and excited. The emotions come in waves.

"Are you okay?" he asks, concerned.

"I'm really happy." I'm _never_ shy. What is with me?

"This is not how you usually express excitement. Should I be worried?"

I drop my clothes and run directly into him, wrapping my arms around his waist. I hear him chuckle and, after a few unsure moments, he places his hands on the small of my back. I don't move.

"So I have nothing to do later. I was wondering if you wanted to hang out. Unless you're busy, of course."

"Yes!" I squawk, gaining my normal voice back. Still pressed against his hard chest, I pull in tighter.

"Why don't you take a shower, and I'll wait here, Dare?" he asks.

Reluctantly I unwrap my arms. He walks over and hands me my clothes that I dropped.

Practically bursting with excitement, I take the world's fastest shower. After, I drop my dirty clothes off at my room and go back to meet Nico.

His hair is wet as well and shines in the sunlight. "I took one too. You're really slow."

A part of me wonders how that's possible, and another part doesn't care. Tentatively I walk over to him. I feel so small by his side.

"You're too big," I say smartly.

His lips turn into a fake frown. "The insults. Why did I ask you to hang out with me again?"

I give him another hug and he leans his head down so he's only a few inches above me.

"You smell good," he remarks, taking a whiff of my wet, red hair.

"I try," is my response, making a mental note to use the strawberry shampoo more often.


	6. Good Luck Kiss

**A/N: First of all, I'd like to thank everyone who reviewed. Again, you guys absolutely made my week and I appreciate every word. Also, I absolutely love suggestions so if you guys have any ideas please please please tell me. This chapter is the longest one so far by a lot... yay! Enjoy :)**

I grab the same sword I had practiced with before and roll my wrist, thinking of Nico. I have hardly seen him today. Just one day apart feels like forever. I realize how cheesy that sounds, and plus, I don't want to be one of those clingy girlfriends. Girlfriend. It's a weird name for myself; one that I never thought would fit, especially after becoming the Oracle. And that makes Nico my boyfriend. The label seems so odd that I crack a smile and push the thought out of my mind.

"Rachel!" Annabeth screams, marching into the room. "You're not ready yet?" I wince. It's better to not get on Annabeth's bad side right before a game of capture the flag. She takes it way too seriously, but she always wins. Currently, she is covered in armor from head-to-toe as though she is preparing for another full-out war. All you can see are her steely Athena eyes and a curly blonde ponytail sticking out the back. She polishes her dagger and eyes my sword.

"I'm ready!" I say, bouncing on the balls of my feet.

If looks could annihilate you…

"Rachel," she says calmly, but behind her eyes I can see a bit of madness brewing. Like every time she plays capture the flag, she has carefully strategized and planned every last move, down to the position of each player and their importance to the game; countless plans and calculations thought up and discarded. But, to give her credit, she wins every time. Secretly, I am glad I'm on her team even if she is frustrating to put up with at the moment. "You aren't wearing any protection," she continues.

Doubtfully, I look at the long row of shields, no clue where to begin. She sizes me up, stalks up and down the aisles, and tosses everything I need into my arms.

I throw everything on and look in the mirror. I'm _so_ ready to win.

We walk outside to the edge of the forest where the two teams are waiting. They are clearly divided, and the players are eying each other with malice. Everyone carries a different weapon, whether it is long swords, or daggers, or even a bow and arrows.

_I go to the coolest camp._

Usually, I am a referee of sorts, choosing to opt out of playing. It was always really for me boring because there were no rules to enforce and I never understood the fascination with the game. But, now that I'm suited up, preparing for battle, I can't help but feel a thrill. I get it now; hearts pounding, palms sweating, adrenaline rushing.

Annabeth and Percy are the two captains of the team. They placed me on Annabeth's team, and, as usual, Nico is on Percy's team. I bite my bottom lip in disappointment and scan the crowd for him. He's talking strategy with Percy. I snort. The two doofuses have no shot.

I wait for them to finish and walk over.

"Talking strategy?" I ask innocently.

"You're playing, Rachel?" He looks surprised.

"I told you I would."

"Well, it doesn't matter, you're going down."

"Oh yeah? Did you and Percy suddenly have an epiphany as to how to beat Annabeth? Because frankly, I don't see that happening any time soon."

He gives an exaggerated shrug. "I guess you'll have to wait and see."

"See ya out on the field then," I state simply.

"Hey," he says, swallowing hard. "Don't I get a good luck kiss?"

Oh, this is _not_ how our first kiss is going to go.

"Not a chance, Nico," I smirk and run back to my side.

* * *

"We will begin in a few minutes," Chiron announces. "You will have exactly ten minutes to hide your flag and position yourselves. When you hear the horn, you may begin. Just a reminder, be safe. There are really no rules, but don't take advantage of this privilege. Oh, and the flag must be in sight. And of course, summoning monsters from the outside is strictly prohibited. Your time begins now!"

"Everyone to the brook!" Annabeth screams, leading the way. The team gives a round of shouts and battle cries before taking off in a sprint. Percy's team gives a responding shriek and dashes off the other way.

The forest practically swallows us and we sprint for a good half-mile. The air is sticky and hot and the armor is heavy. I follow an Aphrodite girl as she dodges roots and leaps over boulders in our path. _If she can do this, I can. _I pick up my pace. It's not like I'm out of shape, but I haven't really worked out too much. I occupy myself thinking about Nico.

After a while, I start to wheeze. _I'm going on a strict workout routine after this. _Doggedly, I keep going until we arrive. Annabeth climbs up on a huge rock and starts yelling instructions.

"The flag is going in its usual place, considering they haven't even come close to finding it," she yells. "Aphrodite cabin to the left, Demeter to the right, Hermes on defense. Apollo and Athena are offense. And watch out for the Hephaestus kids, they've created some sort of weapon. You know the drill people! Move it!"

Giving a nod and a whoop, everyone goes to their designated spots. Annabeth slides down the massive boulder and lands perfectly on her feet. She runs to the side of the clearing and approaches the solid rock cliff bordering the stream. She continues about fifty yards away until she reaches a ledge. She hops up and places the flag there.

I think that's a pretty crappy place, personally. It's really obvious, if I were on the other team that's the first place I'd look.

But then I notice the way the Hermes kids are positioned. They are circled around a huge tree, each a different distance away. The tree has a vast animal burrow in the middle, another obvious place for hiding the flag. From the way the Hermes demigods are standing, it would look to the other team like the tree is what they're guarding. Meanwhile, they are in prime position to protect the true location of the flag if need be.

It's a brilliant plan; Annabeth has awed me once again.

She gathers her offense and gets ready to launch into battle. I stand awkwardly on the side since I have no instructions. She sees me and sighs. I try not to show it, but this makes me feel bad. I know I'm not much use to the team.

"Rachel, be lookout. Stand up there and give a shout if you see anyone," she points to the rock where she was just giving instructions and turns back to her team. "Follow me!" she shouts and they run off.

I scramble to the rock and climb up. It plateaus at the top, and I sit in the shade and look out. There's a great view of the forest; I can see in between the trees and the flag is in clear sight.

The sun slowly lowers and dusk approaches. After about 30 minutes, I haven't even seen the other team. It has been fairly quiet too, only the occasional bang from the other side of the forest.

A girl from Demeter, Katie Gardner, appears in the clearing. The Hermes kids shift her way, expecting an attack. She walks over to the Stoll brothers, removes her helmet, and shakes her straight brown hair out. In hushed voices, they start to talk about the plan. From what I can hear, our team has found their flag, but they have a lot of defense. Their whole team is guarding it, and apparently there are hidden traps as well, courtesy of the Hephaestus.

_That explains why there's no one on offense for their team. I doubt I'll be doing much._

Katie is small and light on her feet, and has a slender bow slung over her shoulder. Following Annabeth's instructions, she tells half of the Hermes kids to follow her to the battle. With a sharp wave of her arms, she organizes the remaining demigods into a semi-circle and trots off into the forest, her small brown head bobbing in front of the others. She seems sweet and tiny, but she's also incredibly smart.

They disappear and I stand up to stretch my legs. Eye-level with the tops of the trees, I glance out across the forest. The trees sway lightly in the wind and bask in the last few rays of sunlight.

All of a sudden I see a beam of light reflect off of something metal. The sun is at an awful angle, making it almost impossible to see the ground. I use my hand as a visor to block the light.

On the forest floor is an army of metallic, snake-like creatures. Their eyes are bright red lights and their bodies slide easily across the ground. There must be a couple hundred of them. Mesmerized, I watch them silently make their way towards the clearing.

The puzzle pieces quickly click into place. _These are the weapons the Hephaestus kids made. _

I am about to give a warning yell when a heavy and strangely familiar hand clamps over my mouth.

I jump back and struggle against the hand, kicking and trying to stomp on the person's feet. My hand reaches for my sword and I just grasp the hilt when everything goes dark.

I feel a dizzy, numbing sensation in my head and my limbs start to tingle. I shudder and realize that I'm freezing cold.

The experience is terrifying. Somehow the blackness is darker than black, it's alive and writhing. The emptiness seeps into my stomach and I feel myself start to vanish, as if being consumed. It's like living a nightmare, or being swallowed by death itself.

The mysterious hand is no longer covering over my mouth, but has a firm grip on my hand. The fingers make their way between mine and give me a reassuring squeeze.

We appear a few seconds later in the Camp Half-Blood supply closet. A pale hand reaches up and turns on the light. The brightness causes a searing pain under my eyes and it takes a few seconds for them to adjust. I turn around to see my captor.

Nico.

My legs sag and I fall to the ground. My pulse is still rapid and my stomach has that weird feeling you get after you drop down quickly on a rollercoaster. He helps me to my feet. I notice how close we are together, practically chest to chest. It takes all my willpower not to wrap my arms around him. He is warm and his heat radiates off of him.

"What was that?" I ask, still disoriented. "And why are we in a closet?"

"That was shadow travelling," he replies, and I notice that even he looks a little pale. "And," he continues, "I couldn't have you alarming the Hermes kids of our…. secret plan."

I clench my teeth. "This is _so_ unfair Nico. Bring me back!"

"Not a chance," he says, mimicking me from before. "We're going to win this time. I better go back and, you know, get the flag now." He sighs dramatically. "I'll come back to get you later," he adds as an afterthought.

"You're going to leave me in a closet?" I shriek.

"It would appear so," he says, smiling, and disappears into a ripple of blackness.

I try the doorknob, but it is locked. Blankly, I stare at the stacks along the wall, praying for a way out. In the corner, I see a box of paperclips and grin.

My dad often locked me in my room when I was a child and misbehaved, so I quickly learned how to pick a lock. I take a paperclip out of the box and shove it into the keyhole. With a few twists the door pops open and I give a satisfied grin.

_Bet he wasn't counting on that one._

With my energy fully regained, I run back to the forest to find my whole team engaged in a battle against the silver serpents. Percy's team is approaching, leaving the flag practically unguarded, except for one person.

Of course that person happens to be the person who locked me in a closet.

From the expression on his face it's easy to tell he's mad that he was left behind. Their flag is located on a branch, perilously overhanging a sharp drop. Slowly, I sneak around to his left, hiding behind a large tree. I take a cautious step forwards and groan as a twig snaps under my feet.

His head snaps to my direction.

"Rachel?" he asks, clearly confused.

"Hey Nico," I say, taking advantage of his confusion to step closer.

"How'd you get out?" he says. I inch forwards; at this point I'm only a few feet away from him.

"I have my ways," I reply slyly, getting closer, closer, closer. Out of the corner of my eye I see Katie Gardener hiding behind the same tree I was behind before.

_I have to distract him._

He scrunches his eyebrows together, which makes him look adorable. Katie creeps forwards, and I have a perfect plan. I take my helmet off and pull my hair out of a ponytail. It falls around my face. It doesn't look great, but it distracts Nico, who stares at me.

I walk over to him until we are standing a few inches apart. He leans down to get closer to me and I tilt my chin up. I breathe heavily and our breath mixes.

"Changed your mind?" he says softly, referring to his comment earlier about the kiss.

"Well, I actually really need the flag now," I say calmly.

He looks down at it and turns his attention quickly back to me. My heart is beating frantically, but I try to be brave. I gaze into his eyes and see, surprisingly, a bit of fear.

This gives me courage and I smile. Standing on my tippy toes I lift my head closer until our lips are centimeters apart. I stop breathing. My chest prickles with anticipation; I only have to stall for a few more seconds.

Behind us, Katie slips by and snags the flag. Nico doesn't notice.

From across the forest, my team lets out ecstatic screams.

I lean in further, but avoid his lips. Pressing my cheek against his, I murmur in his ear.

"I think you just lost."


	7. Holding Grudges

**A/N: Yay another update! Thanks to everyone who reviewed, you guys are so awesome I can't even put it into words. Also, sorry for the crappy chapter titles. I'm really uncreative when it comes to them. Oh, and of course I don't own Percy Jackson. I keep forgetting to include that... Anyways, re****ad, review, and enjoy :)**

Nico has refused to talk to me for three days, still brewing about the capture the flag incident. The ironic thing is that he's the only person still mad about it; everyone on his team thinks the loss is hilarious.

Everyone on _my_ team considers me a hero, and even Annabeth is thrilled with my performance. Katie Gardner keeps going on about how brilliant I was and reenacted the scene once, much to Nico's utter embarrassment.

That also means that the whole camp now knows about Nico and me, which neither of us is overjoyed with. We haven't given them much reason to talk in the last few days, since Nico has been steering clear of me. I didn't even eat with him for the past couple meals.

_He'll get over it; I doubt he's even still mad._ I figure most of it is just useless anger and he should cool off sometime soon.

Yet, I miss him and each time he ignores me it sends a stab of pain through my chest.

I walk over to Poseidon's lunch table and sit down next to Percy. The sun is hot and presses against on our backs.

"Hey Rachel!" he says and I reply with a weak smile. Across the pavilion Annabeth makes some frantic waving motions and he nods. I pretend not to see.

"Ummm, you're, like, not yourself Rachel. What's wrong?" he winces, expecting a fiery reaction.

"Nothing really," I respond slowly, choosing my words carefully. "I just don't understand why Nico won't talk to me, it's really not a big deal, I mean, it's just a game."

Clearly uncomfortable, Percy gives me a reassuring smile, "Well, something you should know about Nico is that his fatal flaw is holding grudges. I would know," he looks sadly at the ground. "Really though Rachel, don't worry. He'll come around. Trust me, he likes you more than you think."

"Well yeah smart one, I figured that out," I grin, feeling a bit better. I wonder if Nico and Percy had talked about Annabeth and me the way we talked about them. _Boy-talk. _

The thought that Nico and Percy can have a serious conversation about anything makes me laugh.

Annabeth walks over and slides onto the bench on Percy's other side. She wraps her arms around his waist and kisses his neck. My stomach churns and I look away.

"I figure I'm old enough to sit where I want," she grumbles and leans her head on his shoulder.

Percy looks around and sees Chiron glaring at them angrily. "Nice going Wise Girl, you got us in trouble."

With a final kiss, Annabeth stands up. "I'll meet you at the lake later, Seaweed Brain."

He sticks out his tongue at her as a response.

Sick of all the love and tired from the lack of sleep of the past few days, I go back to my room. Rummaging among the piles of clothes on the floor, I find a pair of only slightly painted sweats and a t-shirt and toss them on. Despite the overwhelming heat, I snuggle under the covers and press my head to the pillow. I try not to think of Nico but, of course, that's impossible.

* * *

I wake up a few hours later to a knock on the door.

"Yeah?" I shout groggily, my voice sounding like a dying cat.

"Can I please come in?" a sweetly familiar voice replies and I almost cry with relief.

"So you've finally come to your senses?" is my witty reply. I keep my voice as level as I can, hoping my excitement doesn't seem too obvious. He sighs and mumbles some sort of apology. "What's that?" I say, pretending not to hear him.

"Look Rachel, can I please come in so that I'm not talking to the door?" he asks. I walk over to the door and am about to yank it open when I see myself in the mirror. My hair stands up in a frizzy, tangled mess and I have heavy bags under my eyes. _I look like I was hit by a bulldozer._

Frantically, I shove all my clothes under my bed except a pair of white shorts and a purple tank top. I throw those on and try to make my bed to the best of my ability. One of the corners of the bed sheets hits my lamp, causing it to tip over and clatter to the ground with a crash.

"Rachel?" Nico calls, alarm in his voice. "Are you okay?" he asks, causing me to groan.

"Yeah, I'm fine," I say wearily, picking up the unbroken lamp and placing it back on the side table.

"Are you going to open the door?" he asks slowly.

"Well, I was just sleeping, so I look like a mess. Just give me a minute." Rapidly, I braid my hair into long, red, curly mass that reaches just under my shoulder blades.

"Rachel, I don't care how you look, please let me in?" he repeats again, trying to be cute. The door creaks and I hear him lean against it and sigh. I'll admit it makes my heart melt a little; just thinking of Nico waiting outside my door makes the blood pump through my veins a lot faster.

"I care, alright?" I state simply.

"You know, I can just shadow travel in there," he sighs, his voice impatient and weary.

This stops me in my tracks. "Nico di Angelo, if you ever appear in my room without warning I swear I will kill you," I say each word slowly and precisely, and he laughs.

"That's why I figured I better wait out here," he says, causing me to smile.

Quickly, I apply the finishing touches and yank the door open, forgetting that Nico is leaning against it. I feel his body crash against mine, and the next thing I know we are both on the ground. He is lying heavily on top of me and I feel his weight pressed against my chest.

In a matter of seconds he pushes his arms under him so his weight is on his elbows. Planking over me, he lifts his body up so I can breathe again. Yet he doesn't move; we remain like that for a few seconds just staring into each other's eyes. The closeness makes me squirm, but inside I'm practically giddy.

I'm the first to break the silence by laughing. My bubbly peals echo through the room and whatever anger I held for the past two days disappears. Nico joins in happily.

"Thanks for the heads-up, Rach," he says. I swear I think he knows how much I like that nickname.

I shrug against the floor, "You deserved it."

"I know, and I'm really sorry about ignoring you," he looks at me innocently, the apology genuine.

"And I'm sorry that I used my manipulative girl powers to trick you during capture the flag." We both redden at that.

Nico breathes deeply, his chest pressing against mine. _I hope he doesn't feel how quickly my heart is beating._

"That was a lot easier than I thought," he says and I laugh.

"What were you expecting?" I smile from ear to ear.

"Well, you usually tend to be more… difficult."

"I missed you too much to care," I admit. His face turns the color of a tomato and I'm fairly sure mine matches.

"I missed you too, and I'm working on letting go of grudges," he sighs, rolling off of me.

I close my eyes in disappointment, but we lie, side by side, on the ground for a few moments. His shoulder brushes against mine and I inhale sharply.

I slide my hand over to his and he grabs it hungrily. Missing the closeness, I inch over until I lie against him. He rolls on his side so he's facing towards me. I'm surprised at how willing he is to be near me, considering he had avoided me for the past few days.

"Fourth of July is coming up, I was wondering if you wanted to come with me." His onyx eyes bore into mine, unyielding.

"No way," I reply flatly, and he pulls back, shocked. He looks hurt and I'm oddly happy with the fact that he was so upset by my rejection. "Nico, I'm completely joking," I smile warmly. "Did you really think I'd say no?"

He rolls over so his face is against the floor. "You're really confusing," he says, but the carpet muffles the noise.

"It's my job," I snort. I look down at his watch and clench my teeth. "I'm late for my archery class. Whatever, I'll skip it."

"You should go," he says simply, causing me to pout. This makes him smile. "Plus, I'll see you at dinner."

"See you then," I say and rush out the door, leaving Nico lying on the floor in my room.


	8. Fireworks

**A/N: Hey everyone! I'm super sorry for the long wait for this chapter; I had an absolutely crazy week at school with so many tests...bleh. First of all: If anyone has a better title for this story I'm open to suggestions. Rachel and Nico isn't very exciting so if you have anything more creative please give some ideas. **

**Also, as usual, tell me what you guys think of this one but most importantly enjoy! :)**

After much pleading, begging, and eventually whining, Annabeth agreed to let me come over before the Fourth of July fireworks to get ready. Finally having the motivation to clean my room, I organize all my clothes and pile a few options, _a few meaning like ten, _onto my bed. Almost bursting with excitement, I skip over to the Athena cabin and knock rapidly on the door.

"Come in!" I hear Annabeth yell from behind the door.

I enter the gray cabin and am greeted by darkness. Once my eyes adjust, I'm shocked to find that the Athena cabin is a complete mess. Four barely recognizable desks are covered in piles of paper that spill to the floor. Posters of architectural plans and mathematical equations line the walls and there are bookshelves crammed with hundreds of books. Their spines are worn and frayed from years of Athena demigods searching their contents. The beds are pushed back against the wall to create an intricate maze in order to get to your bunk.

Annabeth is at a desk, flipping through a massive green book. She doesn't look up when I approach, and scribbles something down on a piece of paper. Next to her is a boy, about nine years old, with shaggy blond hair and square glasses. His nose is also in a book that looks nearly as thick as it is tall.

He leans over to Annabeth and whispers, "Annabeth, what's the quadratic formula?"

"It's ax2+bx+c," Annabeth states simply, and gives him a warm smile. He smiles back as if that answer makes all the sense in the world. _This is why I like art._

I notice white curtains are drawn, effectively cutting Cabin 6 out from the rest of the world. I march over to the window nearest to Annabeth and yank it open, only to receive a round of shouts and complaints from the Athena demigods.

Annabeth closes her book with a heavy slam and looks up. Her hair is frizzy and falls in tangles down to her shoulders. She's wearing her orange Camp Half Blood t-shirt and a pair of shorts.

Typical.

"C'mon Annabeth, we have a lot of work to do." I tug her hair lightly.

We both agree that her hair should be curled instead of straightened, so this is accomplished quickly. To my utter surprise, she even allows me to put on a light layer of makeup. The only problem we encounter is with her clothes.

"I'm not wearing a dress, Rachel," she states firmly.

"Pleeeasseee?" I whine. "You'll look so pretty, Percy will absolutely die."

"No."

"How about a skirt?"

"Not a chance."

"Shorts?"

"Show me what you have."

I hold up a pair of blue mini-shorts, to which she begrudgingly agrees to try. We match it with a white shirt with ruffles on the front.

Quickly, she changes and walks over to me.

"Perfect!" I say, and she gives a rueful smile.

For me, we simply straighten my hair so it falls in a glossy curtain down to my back. I already decided to wear a summery yellow striped dress. I put silver hoop earrings in my ears and apply a light layer of makeup as well.

Both of us look in the mirror.

Annabeth looks absolutely stunning; her golden hair falls in ringlets down her back, her shorts showing off her tanned legs. I stand next to her, my smaller frame tiny compared to hers. My hair falls gracefully down my back and my dress brushes right above my knees.

"We look pretty good, if I do say so myself." I give her a jab with my elbow.

"Percy and Nico won't know what hit them," she tosses her curly hair over her shoulder and jabs me back.

* * *

Back at my cabin, I watch the time. The minutes seem to tick by like hours; time slows and stretches until I can take it no longer. I look over at my clock. 6:45pm. Any second now.

I hear a knock on my door and practically fly over. I open it quickly and rush into Nico's arms. He hugs me tightly.

"Well hi there," he says, wrapping his arms around me. My pulse quickens.

"I'm so excited Nico!" I mash the words together so they sound like one.

He lets go of me and I step back, casting my eyes to the floor. My hair falls like a straight curtain around my head, blocking my face. My dress suddenly seems short and I try not to let my knees wobble.

"Can I see you?" Nico asks, so I slowly lift my head.

A piece of red hair sticks to my face, and Nico slowly pulls it back behind my ear. His hand brushes my cheek and goose bumps rise along my arms. I shiver and he gives a half smile.

"Wow Rachel, you look, um, really nice," he coughs out the last word.

I twirl in response, letting my dress spin around me. He rolls his eyes.

As a result, I fall dizzily against the wall until he holds out his hand. I take it firmly in mine. His hands are freezing, as usual, compared to my warm ones.

"Oh wait! I almost forgot the picnic blanket!" I spin on my heels and pick up the dusty gray lump on my bed.

He holds out his hands to take it from me and I don't give it to him. _Revenge for last time._

He sighs and grabs my hand again, which makes me smile as though I'll never get used to it. I melt into his side and, tentatively, he wraps his hand around my shoulders. We walk outside like this.

When we get to the field, we find a spot on the edge, away from the rest of the camp. I see Annabeth with Percy, and she gives me a wave. Then, I shake the blanket out and lay it on the ground. It's covered in old paint splotches. Nico wrinkles his nose.

"Scared of some dry paint?" I ask smartly.

He shoots me a look and sits down. I sit next to him, his hand still resting on my shoulder. He's wearing a pair of dark jeans and a black t-shirt with his aviator jacket on top, now free of green paint.

Nico grabs some of my hair and tries to tickle my face with it.

"Nice try, but I'm only ticklish in one spot," I say, matter-of-factly.

"And where's that?" he questions.

"Like I would tell you."

"I'll find out, don't worry." He sighs and lies down on the blanket, folding his hands behind his head.

Carefully, I lie down next to him. A cool breeze races through the air and I shiver against him. Once again, he wraps his arm around my shoulder. In a moment of bravery, I curl in next to him and place my head on his chest.

He takes a shaky breath.

"I can hear your heart beating!" I say, listening to the rhythm. It's fast and uneven.

"That's normally what happens, Dare," he breathes. I listen for a few more minutes as it returns back to normal. Experimenting, I wrap my arm across his chest and listen as his pulse spikes again, his heart thumping rapidly against my ear.

I let out a laugh and he puts his hand on mine.

"Please stop Rachel, you're terrifying me," he gulps as I continue to giggle.

* * *

The fireworks start and I watch the gorgeous colors splash across the sky. Out of the corner of my eye I see Nico glance down at me each time the sky is lit up. I look back at him and he directs his attention up towards the show.

* * *

After the fireworks, the rest of the camp gets up and goes back to their cabins. I remain where I am, unwilling to let go of Nico.

"I don't want to go back," I whisper in his ear.

"I'll see you tomorrow Rachel, first thing in the morning."

Sadly, I tear myself away from him and make a face, the promise doing little to make me feel better. He stands up and folds the blanket neatly.

"I'll walk you back," he says.

We walk slowly to my room. At the door, Nico gives my hand one last squeeze and pauses.

"That was really fun," I say leaning against the door.

"Yeah, it was," he says, and gives a crooked smile. "I have an idea," he whispers and grabs my wrist so his thumb is on the inside of my arm.

With the other hand, he grabs the back of my head. Slowly, he leans in and pauses right in front of my face. After a moment, he moves forwards and closes the distance.

My limbs go numb and my head feels disconnected from my feet. All I can feel are his sturdy lips press against mine. It's fast, and he pulls back to scrutinize my expression.

I wobble and he laughs.

"I stopped because your heart was about to explode," he smirks.

"That's not a very good reason," I frown.

"Well, I wouldn't want to kill you," he raises his eyebrows.

"You're the son of Hades; it's no big deal," I retort.

"I like you up here better," he shrugs, letting go of my hand. The corner of his mouth rises. "See you tomorrow?"

"Bye Nico, see you then."

I enter my room and let out a muffled scream of joy against my pillow.


	9. The Picnic

**A/N: Hi everyone! Sorry for the long wait again... school is crazy because we missed a bunch of days from the hurricane so I've had a ton of work and therefore less time to write. As usual, I'd like to thank everyone who reviewed, especially those who gave me constructive criticism. **

**For the "Guest" who reviewed, I really wish I could PM you but I can't, so I'll just say briefly that I really appreciate what you wrote and I will try my best to capture Rachel's personality better in the future. I agree with everything you said and it's hard to express her stubbornness and silliness without making her seem immature. Despite this, I'll try my best and I hope it improves from here.**

**This has been a stupidly long author's note, so please enjoy and happy Thanksgiving to everyone who celebrates!**

"We're going to have a picnic for dinner," I state briskly, tossing a basket I wove a few years ago in art school into Nico's hands.

"We are?" he replies, leaning against the wall and glaring at me. "Since when?"

"Since I decided it," I retort, placing my hands on my hips. "Plus it's really nice outside, it's not even that hot."

"Isn't a picnic more of a lunch thing?" he asks stupidly.

I shoot him a look. "Does it really matter?"

"Not really, it's just like in all the movies they always go for lunch." I snort at that. "So where exactly are we going?" he continues.

"I don't know, we'll find somewhere. I mean, the camp is huge Nico, c'mon."

He shrugs. I grab the sandwiches I made—or stole—from the dining pavilion. Raising my eyebrows, I chuck them at Nico and he easily catches them in the basket.

"Ready now?" he asks as he walks over. Standing next to me, he rubs a finger up and down my bare arm. I shiver and slap his hand away.

"Almost, I just need to change my clothes."

"Why? Can't we just go already?"

"Nico," I say, pointing down at my pajamas. "I'm not going out like this."

"Gods Rachel, you look fine. Plus, it's not like anyone is coming along. Right?" He freezes and cocks his head to the side.

"No, just us," I say, a smile playing on my lips. "And Nico, just leave for two minutes while I change, ok."

He faces the wall. "I'm not looking," he says sharply.

Ducking behind my bed, I quickly pull off the sweat pants and put on a pair of shorts.

Sneaking up behind Nico, I violently poke his sides, sending him flying forwards and directly into the wall. I double over in laughter and Nico grabs both of my hands in one of his.

"You think you're so funny, don't you?" he says slowly.

I give a half-smile. Nico looks down at my pale legs, causing me to self-consciously cross them. His eyes return to my face.

Cautiously, I peak up from under my hair and look him in the eyes. His are bottomless, deep, writhing in darkness. He has a square jaw that is cleanly shaven and his black hair falls just above his eyes.

With his free hand, he cups the side of my face and rubs his thumb across my cheekbone. Despite his icy finger, he leaves a trail of warmth.

"I like your freckles," he says, kissing me lightly on the nose.

Seemingly disconnected from my body, my hand reaches up to brush the hair out of his eyes. He tilts his head so it falls to the side.

"Ready to go now?" he asks, planting another kiss on my nose. At a loss for words, I lean my forehead against his chest and nod.

He lets go of my hands and scoops up the basket. I don't even object to him carrying it, as I usually would.

* * *

We walk to the clearing in the woods where Annabeth hides the flag. Few trees overhead and the sun beats down brightly, illuminating the forest floor. There's a refreshing wind that causes the trees to sway and dance.

Nico spreads the blanket next to the brook and sits down. I stand awkwardly next to him, not sure where to go. He grabs my hand and pulls me down onto his lap. My body folds perfectly against his and I feel his sculpted abs through his t-shirt.

"You're in a good mood today," I smile, shifting my body so that I can see his face.

"Um, I drank coffee this morning, that's why," he jokes, twirling a strand of my hair around his finger.

"I told you that you'd love it!" I play along excitedly, causing his body to shake slightly in laugher under me.

The silence settles around us and we stay like this for a while. The wind causes my hair to fly in all directions. I go to pull it up but Nico objects, so I try to push it out of my face the best I can.

Eventually my stomach rumbles loudly, making a horrific gurgling sound. Embarrassed, my hands fly to my stomach and my face turns bright red.

"Why didn't you tell me you where hungry?" he asks.

"I didn't realize it until now," I say earnestly.

"Okay, well I'm starving, so let's eat."

I slide off of his lap and take the sandwiches and napkins out of the picnic bag. They are simply turkey and cheese. _I know, really fancy._ Nico seems to like it though, he eats his quickly and so do I. After he finishes, he lies back down and folds his arms behind his head.

A violent gust of wind rushes through the forest, causing the napkins to scatter. I jump to the right in an attempt to snag them all and my hand lands on a patch of Nico's skin between his shirt and pant line. I feel Nico's stomach tighten and my heart hammers against my ribs. He breathes deeply, purposely causing his stomach to rise up and down.

"Um, sorry." I remove my hand and place it firmly against the ground. Nico passes his hand over his face and doesn't move.

Grinning, I pinch him exactly where my hand had fallen. It leaves a mark.

"Come over here, will you?" he whispers pulling me down next to him.

Before I can process what is going on, he presses his lips against mine again. This second kiss is slower, less unsure. My pulse falters a second before skittering ahead.

It only lasts for a couple seconds but my stomach clenches into a compact knot. I laugh and roll to my side.

Suddenly, a crazy idea makes its way into my head.

"Let's go swimming!" I tell him, walking over to the side of the brook. It's only waste deep, so I kick off my flip-flops and hesitantly swirl my foot around in the clear water. It's ice cold.

"Rachel, please," he starts. "There's no way I'm going in the water; you're nuts." He rolls on his side so he's resting his head on his hand.

Taking aim, I splash water right into Nico's face. He stretches and shifts backwards two feet, giving me a cocky smile. I try to get him wet again, but the water falls short.

Irritated, I march over to the picnic table and grab an empty water bottle. I walk back over to the brook and press the nozzle of the bottle into the water. It fills up with a glug and I'm about to turn around when I feel two arms wrap around my waist.

"What are you doing?" Nico asks against my neck.

"I think you know," I squeak breathlessly.

"Put it down please."

"Come swimming!"

"It's. Too. Cold."

"You're afraid?" I mock him.

"Rachel, I'm not falling for that again. If you want to go swimming let's at least go somewhere where the water isn't like a melted glacier."

I shrug against his shoulders and he gives me a tight hug. I raise my arms backwards to wrap my hands around his neck. A cascade of chilling water falls on my head from the water bottle that I had forgotten I was holding. I shriek and grab my head, feeling the icy water drip down my shirt and run down my back. Nico jumps away, letting go of me, and starts to guffaw.

"That," he says in between spasms of laughing, "was karma."

"Shut up, it's not funny!" I wrap my arms around myself and huddle to keep warm. My shirt is completely soaked and sticks to my back. The harsh wind also chills me even further and my teeth start to chatter.

"Still want to go swimming?" he says cockily.

"Y-yeah. I-it's not that c-c-cold," I insist stubbornly, my jaw bouncing rapidly up and down. Nico rolls his eyes.

I sit on the blanket and curl up in a ball. Nico holds out his black sweatshirt.

"Thhanksss," I say and appreciatively take it, secretly glad that I didn't bring a sweatshirt of my own.

He turns away and I strip off my drenched shirt. I pull the warm sweatshirt over my head and inhale Nico's smell. I sigh and sit down next to him.

"Ok," I say, feeling the blood warming my body again.

He turns around. When he sees me in his sweatshirt he can't help but grin. I smile back.

"You look good." He tugs a strand of my wet hair.

"It's really comfy," I pipe. "I'm keeping it," I add as an afterthought.

"For now," he concedes. I take his hand and flip his palm so it is facing upwards. With a small finger I trace the lines in his hand.

After a few minutes he closes his palm into a fist. "We should head back soon."

"Yeah," I reluctantly whisper. Dusk has settled in and the forest is slowly becoming dark, alive with the sounds of various animals peaking their heads out of their burrows.

Hand-in-hand, we make our way back to camp. On the way to the Big House, we run into Percy. I go to drop Nico's hand because he's not quite comfortable with people knowing about us.

To my surprise he holds on tighter, refusing to let go.

"Hey," Percy says. When he sees our hands, his eyebrows shoot up. He doesn't comment. "All of the heads of the cabins are going on an out-of-camp trip tomorrow. Chiron finally let us. We were wondering if you wanted to come with us."

"Sure!" I answer excitedly. Nico nods next to me.

"Awesome! Nico, just make sure to bring your sword. I mean, all these demigods in one place isn't great but…" he trails off. "We'll be fine," he concludes.

"Where are we going?" I ask.

"Not sure yet, Argus will drive us to the city and we can decide when we get there."

"Sounds great," I smile broadly.

"Ok, see you both at 8am sharp." Percy gives our hands one last look, shakes his head in disbelief, and walks off.

When we get back to the Big House it's almost dark; we had been gone for quite a while. I yawn and stretch my arms out wide.

"Thanks for coming." I give him a hug.

He takes one of the strings from his sweatshirt and yanks it, so I look up. He calmly presses his lips against my forehead.

"Will I ever get the sweatshirt back?" he murmurs, his lips against my face.

"Maybe," I say vaguely.

"Come to my cabin early tomorrow?" he asks, without removing his lips.

"Sure, I'll be there at seven."

Finally, he steps back.

"Goodnight Rach."

He turns and walks away, without waiting for my reply. I watch the darkness envelope him. His figure blurs and eventually the blackness engulfs him.

I twist on my heels and walk up to the attic, careful to be quiet. Tired from a day of practically doing nothing, I change quickly and sink into bed.

My eyelids heavy, I fall asleep with my thoughts turned towards Nico and my hand covering the spot on my head where he kissed me.


	10. Demigods in the City Part 1

**A/N: Hi everyone! So this is actually part one of a two-part chapter. Very exciting... I know :) Once again, thanks so much to everyone who reviewed, especially those who consistently do so. I can't explain how grateful I am for the constant support and advise to help make my writing better. ****Enjoy!**

"Get up!" I sing, storming into Nico's room. His face is covered under a mass of tangled black hair. There's no response.

I sit on the edge of his bed and bounce up and down, causing the old bunk to creak under my weight. Nico moans and pulls the covers over his head, muttering something about fighting monsters.

"Nico, wake up. We have to go," I urge him, trying to pull the covers off.

"Mmmf, monsters. I saved everyone."

I snort. "Good job, now GET UP!" I raise my voice louder than I planned.

However, it works. Nico groggily turns so he's facing me. Two bleary eyes meet mine and it takes his deep black ones a minute to focus.

"Rachel?" he asks, confused.

"No, it's Chimera and I'm going to kick your butt if you don't hurry up," I mutter sarcastically.

He yawns and shoves his head back into the pillow. He says something along the lines of "a few more minutes" but his voice is muffled and hard to hear.

Testing out my power, I place my lips next to his ear.

"Please get up, Nico," I say as sweetly as possible, letting my mouth graze his skin.

I see his face again. _Big surprise._ I roll my eyes, but the corner of my mouth lifts into a smile. Nico yawns and inches towards me.

"Hmmm," he says, content. He opens his eyes once again and reaches for my face. I pull backwards sharply and he groans.

"What was that?" he sighs, sitting up slowly.

"Not until you get up. We have a trip to go on, remember? I don't want to be late!" I cluck, trying not to sound like an angry mother.

"What time is it?"

"Seven. You told me to come this time yesterday, smarty," I quip.

"Ugh, why did I agree to this?" he moans, mashing his head back into his pillow.

"You've gotten up earlier before, Nico," I say, reminding him of the painting incident.

"Yeah, but I had a lot more to worry about then," he says, shrugging.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Nothing."

"No, wait what?"

"Forget it, Rachel." Clearly not wanting to discuss it, he gets up and goes over to his drawer, pulling out a pair of black jeans and a skull shirt. I let the conversation drop.

"Soooo, what are we doing today?" I ask, flopping down so that I lay across his bed. Once he's changed, he walks back into the room.

"I don't know, ask Annabeth. I bet she has a whole schedule planned." He walks over and sits next to me, still delirious from sleep. Rubbing his eyes, he lies down on the bed, just like me.

"We still have ten minutes, what do you want to do?" he asks innocently, taking my hand in his.

"Well, I could think of something…" I purposely trail off. Tucking my knees in, I curl against his side. He shifts so he is facing me.

I lean in so our foreheads touch and he is about to press his lips against mine when—

"Hey Nico, I was thinking that I should give you some ambrosia just in case. Oh and do you have any drachma? I would bring those as well; we might have to Iris Message each other because Percy keeps talking about splitting up the group. Personally, there's a new exhibit that I want to see at the Museum of Natural History but I don't know what the rest of you guys want to do." Annabeth strides into the cabin, her head deep in her backpack searching for something.

She reappears a few moments later, triumphantly pulling squares of the ambrosia out of her bag. She turns around to toss Nico the bag and falters when she sees me.

We both shoot up and slide away from each other awkwardly.

"Oh gods, I'm so sorry," Annabeth apologizes, scurrying to the door. "I hope I didn't, um… interrupt anything." Grinning, she quickly ducks out of the cabin, leaving us once again alone.

"The museum thing sounds good!" I state, my mind wandering to the day ahead of us.

"Uh, I guess," he replies unenthusiastically. "She never gave me the ambrosia."

"I wish I could try that. Is it good?"

"Yeah, but it tastes different for everyone, so I can't really explain it."

"What flavor is yours?"

"Hazelnut."

"Really?" I ask, surprised.

"What? I like them." Nico looks down at his watch. We only have a couple minutes left.

"We better go get the stuff from Annabeth," I sigh, standing up and stretching. Together, we exit the cabin and are greeted by a group of campers waving at the top of the hill.

"Hi everyone," I say when we get closer. Nico and I stand off to the side.

As usual, Argus shows up a few minutes later with the van. His eyes blink at us expectedly, as if beckoning us to enter the vehicle. It takes everyone a while to cram in. Their weapons take up a lot of room, leaving only a small amount of space for Nico and me. I sit in one of the few remaining seats, taking care to make room.

Nico scowls and shakes his head.

"C'mon in," I say.

"Uh, there's no room, I'll just meet you guys there," he lies, clearly uncomfortable being around so many people. Despite the other campers' protests, he refuses and the van takes off without him.

I try not to be disappointed and distract myself my pulling a sharpie out of my pocket and doodling on my jeans.

* * *

We agree to have Argus drop us off in Central Park. Upon approaching it, bright balloons and blasting music greet us; there's some sort of event taking place. The air is warm and the sun shines brightly overhead, reflecting off the tall buildings nearby. With a pang I realize that I really do love New York and have been a little homesick.

We exit the van and crowd around like a bunch of stranded children, unsure how to proceed. I look for Nico among the demigods, but he's nowhere to be seen. My heart sinks.

Everyone starts talking quickly about where they want to go.

"Let's go shopping!" Drew puckers as she paints a thick coat of lip-gloss across her mouth. We all ignore her.

"We're just going to head over to a magic shop, okay? I mean, we're running low on supplies, we have to stock up," Connor Stoll says, inching away from the group.

"Don't go anywhere!" Katie Gardner replies sternly, frowning at them. She pulls up her long, straight hair into a ponytail. "We have to figure out where we're all going to go."

"I'll follow you anywhere, babe," says Travis, winking at her. Horrified, she huffs and marches towards me, tossing her hair over her shoulder. This sends Connor and Travis into a round of laugher, but I swear Travis's face is slight shade of pink.

"Is there anything you want to do?" Katie asks. She nonchalantly turns back towards the group and I see her peek at Travis out of the corner of her eye. Deep in conversation, he looks up and they both blush.

I laugh to break the silence. "I mean, I live here during the year, so I'm up for anything."

"Alright!" she says and turns around to poll everyone else on his or her opinion.

Eventually, someone makes the decision to go to the Statue of Liberty. _Really creative. _

"Guys! That's so far away!" someone shouts. Argus has already left, leaving us stranded in Central Park.

"Maybe we should pick something else…." Annabeth agrees.

Tuning them out, I look over at the rest of the park. The event must be some sort of party because there's a limousine parked down the road. It dawns on me what has to happen next and I reluctantly march over to the driver. He's a pudgy man, about forty years old, and is sitting on a bench eating a hot dog.

"Excuse me? Are you busy at the moment?" I ask patiently.

"No, why? What's it to you, kid?" he replies, stuffing more of the food in his mouth. He's quite rude.

"Do you think you could give me and my friends a ride?" I demand, starting to get irritated.

"Get lost, this is a limo. Take the bus or something," he snorts, finishing his food and licking his fingers. _What a pig._ I clench my teeth and wince, knowing what's coming.

"My name is Rachel Elizabeth Dare, and I don't think my dad would be particularly happy with the attitude you're giving me, sir," I say as viciously as possible.

Recognition dawns on his face and he stands up immediately, fumbling over his feet. "Miss Dare, I'm terribly sorry. Tell your friends to come over right away. I'll drive you wherever you want for half the price." He motions to the vehicle and gives me a curt bow.

I turn towards the group. "Hey guys, we have a ride!" I call over. Everyone stops arguing and looks over. It takes them a few seconds to figure it all out. Once they do, however, they are ecstatic. Connor and Travis Stoll let out a whoop and the rest of the demigods follow suit with some cheers.

I stand aside as they enter the limo one at a time.

"Hey Rach," I hear a low voice from behind me, and my heart jumps.

"Nico!" I say. "We're taking a limo to see the Statue of Liberty."

"A limo? How did _that_ happen?" he inquires.

"Me…" I say, scowling at the ground.

"Um what?"

"I used my contacts," I shrug my shoulders. He doesn't seem to understand. "My dad, he's kinda famous. I just used his name." I look ashamedly at the ground.

"You're rich?" he states, shocked. "And famous?"

"I'm not," I say, carefully making the distinction. My eyes flash. "My dad is."

He drops the subject. "I've never been in a limo before."

"So you'll come with us?" I say, grinning.

"Yeah," he says and takes my hand.

We sit next to each other in the limo and I lean against his shoulder. Percy and Annabeth sit across from us. They're whispering and giggling about something. Meanwhile, the rest of the demigods are sipping soda and cranking up the music.

* * *

We're all quite sad when we arrive shortly thereafter. We reluctantly exit the limo, Connor and Travis pretending to be movies stars. I almost tell the driver to just bill my dad, but decide against it and hand over some cash.

I look out across the water; it shimmers and coruscates in the light. Somehow in the hustle and bustle, Nico ends up in the front of the group with Percy, while Annabeth and I stay in the back.

"This is stupid," Annabeth mutters. "We've all seen the Statue of Liberty in pictures. It's not that interesting to go in person."

"Agreed."

Everyone gets ready to pile into a ferry that will bring us to the island.

"Oh!" I exclaim, an idea forming in my head. "I know a really cool art gallery just a few blocks away. I say we ditch this group and head over there. Wanna come?"

"Yes! But I'm not really sure if we should split away from the group, I mean, won't Percy and Nico notice if we just leave?"

We glance over at Nico and Percy, who are comparing their demigod powers. Percy has lifted a giant swirling tornado of water from the sea, while Nico has split the concrete half and opened up the earth.

"They'll never notice. Plus, we'll just have to be ninja," I say, giving my best karate kick.

Annabeth laughs hesitantly. "Alright, we'll meet them back here in just an hour or so."

Slowly we skirt away from the group. Once we're out of sight, we dash the few blocks to the gallery. It's small, but I remember sneaking away from the multiple nannies I had as a child and hiding behind the sculptures inside.

The man working behind the desk, Mr. Cooper, recognizes me immediately.

"Rachel!" he says, standing up. "We haven't seen you in so long! How have you been?"

I give him a hug and smile. My chest aches slightly and I know that I really do miss it here.

"I'm well, thanks for asking. This is my friend Annabeth. We're escaping from a group field trip, of sorts." I turn to introduce Annabeth but she's already gone. I peer into the next room to see her admiring some architectural based artwork. _Perfect._

"Hmmm, running away again? I should have known," Mr. Cooper grins, guiding me through the new exhibits. We pause when we get to Annabeth, who is scrutinizing a painting of, _oh gods_, a Greek temple.

"Pretty gorgeous, huh?" Mr. Cooper asks, and I wince.

Annabeth shrugs. "Well, if you really must know, it's way out of proportion. I mean, this painting is not feasible. Look at the columns! They would never be able to support the weight of the roof. And these angles are not precise. In fact, if this were a real Greek temple, it would crumble to the ground!"

Mr. Cooper's jaw drops and I give a light cough. The other guests in the gallery turn wide-eyed at Annabeth.

"Oh, but it's a very nice painting," Annabeth adds loudly to cover herself.

"So, Mr. Cooper," I say, trying to distract him. "Show me what else is new."

We leave Annabeth there and he guides me through the rest of the rooms. I'm happy to see that the gallery is quite full. When I was a child I remember it usually being empty, so I'm glad he has found some business.

All is great until we get to the end of the gallery. In the last room, hidden in the corner, are two Empousai waiting hungrily for Annabeth and me to arrive.


	11. Demigods in the City Part 2

**Wow it has been a long time. I'm so sorry that I haven't updated this in months, I've honestly been thinking about this constantly but life sorta got in the way. I really do want to get back to writing so it's my April 2013 resolution to pick up where I left off-****and hopefully improve. ****I've had this chapter written for a while along with a few others, so at the very least I'll be updating those.**

******But I will start writing again. Don't worry.**

******Here is part 2 of the chapter that I updated a while ago. Thanks so much to all my loyal readers who have waited so long (if any of you are still there) :) Enjoy!**

I shriek and Annabeth comes running. The monsters approach me, their one bronze leg clanking against the marble floor. The sound echoes through the halls eerily and a shiver races up my spine. When Annabeth arrives, she pulls out her dagger and thrusts forwards, catching one of the Empousai off guard. It dissolves quickly into a pile of dust.

The other one, apparently smarter, is not fooled so quickly. It takes its time, circling Annabeth, keeping her at a distance of a few feet.

The other mortals come running into the room to see what the commotion is all about.

"Burglar!" Mr. Cooper screams. "There's a robber in my gallery! Everyone run!" He turns around and ushers everyone out frantically.

I unfocus my eyes and allow the Mist to infiltrate my view. From his perspective, there is a large man holding a gun. I squint and allow myself to see the monster. It is still circling Annabeth dangerously. She backs up until she's next to me.

"You don't happen to have a weapon, do you?" she asks.

"Um, not really," I squeak as the monster approaches.

"Perfect," she spits through her teeth. I watch her expression change from uncertainty to unwavering determination. She sets her mouth in a hard line, grits her teeth, and glares at the monster, strands of blonde hair trailing down her face.

The monster rips a painting off the wall and sets it on fire. It throws it at us and we both dodge out of the way, the flames flying by our heads. I feel the heat flash quickly across my face. Annabeth does a roll and stands up, but the monster has her cornered.

I whip my blue hairbrush out of my pocket and throw it at the monster. It misses by a foot. Annabeth gives me a that-was-your-best-shot look.

Despite the miss, throwing the hairbrush has the desired effect. The monster turns around, eyes narrowing as it spots me. It starts to approach, taking heavy steps across the gallery. Annabeth follows from behind, getting ready to attack.

"C'mon, you big stupid donkey. You can't catch us. You're going to end up like your friend. A pile of dust," I taunt the monster, kicking up the remains of the other Empousai in its face. It gives a strangled, horrific noise, and moves closer.

_Hurry up Annabeth._

Not as stupid as I thought, the monster turns around and lashes out, striking Annabeth on the side of the head. She flies across the room and hits the wall; a large slice spreads across her cheek. I don't even have time to see if Annabeth is okay because the monster turns back to me.

_Crap. I'm dead monster meat. _

All of a sudden, Percy and Nico appear out of the corner of the room. They run forwards, Percy going immediately over to tend to Annabeth. Nico shadow travels again and appears right in between me and the monster. He backs up so that I'm pressed against the wall.

"Son of Hades," the monster sneers, its voice cracking. "We are one. You understand me. Give me the Oracle. Give her to me so that the Underworld can control the future." The sound is sharp like nails and I cover my ears to block the noise.

Nico shakes and pushes upwards against the air, causing a large black spike of Earth to appear out of the ground. It impales the monster and, with a tortured wail, it disintegrates into another pile of dust.

He then turns around and glares at me. I uncover my ears and place my hands at my side, expecting a terrible reaction. He walks over to me and freezes a foot away.

During my absolutely graceful roll away from the burning painting, I had hit my eye against the base of one of the podiums holding a statue. I could feel it swelling already.

To my astonishment, Nico leans down and kisses it. I hug him tightly but he pulls away, examining my face carefully. I decide to talk first.

"You're not mad?"

He shrugs. "Nah, the Statue of Liberty sucked."

"You're not mad that we ran away?"

"Rachel, you're not four. You can do whatever you want."

Maybe it is due to the fact that I have had an overbearing father all my life, but what Nico is saying means a lot to me. I pull in tighter.

"Thanks for coming anyways. I would have been a monster snack."

"Yeah, see, it was a really tough decision. I almost decided to just let the monster get you," he jokes.

Annabeth moans from across the room so I let his comment drop. Nico and I jog over. He tosses Percy the ambrosia and he feeds a piece to Annabeth.

Within a few seconds, the color returns to her face and she comes-to.

"We—we would have been fine. I had it all under control. You didn't need to come," she sputters angrily.

"Alright Wise Girl, it's no big deal," Percy replies hoisting her up. She groans.

"Put me down, I can walk," she says and Percy obeys instantaneously.

He goes to wrap an arm around her waist but she brushes it off. Wobbling for a moment on her feet, she regains her balance and gives Percy a pointed look.

After a moment her expression softens.

"Thanks for coming," she says, leaning in for a kiss.

"Love you, Wise Girl."

"Love you too, Seaweed Brain."

It's a perfect reunion until the sirens start to blare.

We all run outside to find a red-faced Mr. Cooper screaming at the police that there are two girls stuck inside.

"They're inside! With a burglar. GO HELP THEM!" he waves his arms dramatically, sweat beading down the side of his face.

"Mr. Cooper," I interject. "It's all taken care of. We're fine, thanks."

"W—what?" He turns towards my voice, taking in my appearance. The expression on his face is a mixture of awe, terror, and humiliation.

"The robber left through the back door. It's okay," I explain slowly.

"YOU FOUGHT THE ROBBER?" he asks, putting his head in his hands.

Just in time, the rest of the demigods show up, bearing battle weapons. Percy tells them to back up.

I don't have the slightest clue what to say, so I look to Nico for help.

"Yeah, see, we're all in the same karate school," he lies uneasily. _Brilliant, dummy. _ I give another good karate kick to add to the idea. Nico rolls his eyes and the corners of his mouth curl up. He suppresses his laughter.

The police confirm that there is no one left in the gallery and warn us not to take matters into our own hands next time.

Mr. Cooper thanks us profusely and we all get as far away from the area as possible.

Obviously, demigods are not meant to all be in the city together unless they are fighting a war. We all agree that going back to camp would be best, so Annabeth Iris Messages Argus, who comes to pick us up.

I go to tell Nico that I'll see him back at camp, but he's already in the van, a very emotionless expression on his face. Elated, I sit next to him. He tries to be concerned about my eye but I shake it off, telling him that it's nothing.

* * *

When we get back to camp, he insists that I get some ice. The Apollo kids just tell me it's bruised and will take a few days to heal.

We get to the Big House and Nico pauses.

"You, me, tomorrow, date?" he asks, suddenly taking interest in his shoes.

"How will we get out of camp without permission?" I ask, my heart expanding in my chest so tightly that I can barely speak.

"Percy and Annabeth will cover for us. I don't know, Rachel, aren't you the expert on escaping?"

I grin. "I guess I can figure something out."


	12. First Date

**A/N: Yay another chapter! I know in this one the characters are OOC but that happens on a first date, right? :p Enjoy!**

I know that proper ladies are supposed to wait for their dates to come to their door. But waiting is just so damn hard. For the past twenty minutes I have been pacing around my room like a madman, anxiously waiting for Nico to arrive. I tried to distract myself with painting, reading, and writing, all to no avail.

I look in the mirror on the wall and comb my straightened hair for the tenth time. I apply a fifth layer of lip-gloss across my mouth. I check my makeup to make sure my mascara is perfect. The darkness of my eyelashes really accentuates my green eyes. However, I still have the bruise from yesterday. Just my luck. I was going for sophisticated.

Which is when I remember I'm dating someone four years younger than me and it doesn't really matter. Luckily, my small frame and freckles makes me look less mature than my actual age.

I contemplate changing my dress again, but decide to stick with the silver one. It's slender and falls just above my knees. Twirling around, the bottom splays out and wraps around my legs. I can look out the window and watch for him to come, but the agony will probably drive me crazy. With a huff I march over to my bed and flop down, careful not to mess anything up.

_A few more minutes. Just a few more. _My overdramatic behavior makes me snarl as I realize how absolutely stupid I am acting.

I turn on my iPod and play a few songs, not really listening to the lyrics. Already I'm nervous, my palms sweating. _Gross_. I rub them against my bed sheet.

Finally, Nico knocks on the door. My heart leaps and my stomach tightens into a ball. I try to look poised and delicate when I answer. My dad would be proud and a small part of me is happy that I had to suffer through Clarion Ladies Academy for so many years.

"Hi Nico!" I say as I open the door.

His usually hard expression softens. The way he gazes at me makes me want to melt.

"Rachel. Y—you look stunning."

My knees start knocking and I try to stand taller.

"Thanks, you look, um, handsome."

Which he does. Handsome isn't even the right word. He's gorgeous. He has a dark dress shirt and black pants on and he even made an attempt to brush his hair. It's surprisingly long and he pushes it out of his face.

My entire body is so numb that I hardly notice when he takes my hand.

"Where to?" I ask.

"Well, if you're hungry, how does Italian sound?"

"Perfect."

Our plan is simple. Since it's nearly dinnertime, both of us won't show up at the pavilion. If Chiron asks, Nico has a mild stomach bug and I'm working on a painting. It's not flawless, but it should suffice.

"Ready to go?" he asks. I frown, knowing what's coming.

"Sure," I beam, gripping his hand tighter. He gives it a squeeze and slowly the room fades from view.

Shadow travelling is awful; I don't understand how Nico can be so brave. It feels as though everything you are is broken down and disappears. The cold seeps into my bones and I pull in closer to Nico, clutching his arm.

We arrive shortly thereafter, in a dark alleyway next to a small Italian bistro. Nico looks down at me, as I'm still clutching him tightly.

"Ouch Rach, my arm. Not so tight."

I let go sheepishly and he rubs the spot where I was gripping him.

"Oh. Sorry."

He takes my hand and leads me inside. The place is small and actually quite fancy. Where he gets the money for this I am not sure and I don't ask.

He asks the hostess for a table for two and she obliges sweetly in a thick Italian accent. The room is dark and is lit by candles; I never realized how romantic Nico is. We get a table in the back corner and she hands us two menus.

To my dismay, the menus are almost impossible to read. I squint and put the paper dangerously close to the flame.

It turns out that the menu is not only hard to read, but it's also in Italian.

"Nico," I whisper, embarrassed. "How are we supposed to read this?"

He rolls his eyes.

"Are you referring to my dyslexia or the language?"

"It's in Italian!" I whisper-scream.

"I _speak _Italian, Rachel."

"Do you really?" I ask loudly, which earns glares from the people at the other tables.

He gives me a bemused look.

"Yeah, my mom was Italian," he replies in a hushed voice.

"I know, but I didn't realize that you could speak it. Wait, read this," I say, pointing to a random dish on the menu.

"_Pasta alla carbonara_," he says, smiling.

"Alright, I don't know anything so just order for me."

The waitress comes back a few minutes later and he orders two dishes. I rest my hands on the table, hoping that Nico catches on.

He looks at my hand and reaches across the table to take mine in his. He rubs one thumb across the back of my hand, which glows in the soft light. _Success._

Nico coughs. "So, I figured this would be an improvement over yesterday."

"Yesterday wasn't awful."

"Says the girl with the black eye."

I reach up to touch my eye, which is still swollen and painful. I make a face and Nico laughs.

"How did you know where we were?" I ask him.

"I honestly don't know. I just knew that you were hurt, so I took Percy with me to you guys."

"It took you long enough to figure out we were gone," I smile.

"Hey, we were busy with our awesome demigod powers," he begins. "I'm pretty sure I beat Percy any day in that competition."

"Speaking to fish doesn't appeal to you?" I giggle.

"No. I'm more of the ghost type," he smirks, playing along.

The waitress comes with two plates full of food. Nico ordered me some sort of pasta thing. It looks great, but I'm not particularly hungry.

We eat mostly in silence, but Nico's dark eyes never leave my face. I probably don't take mine off of his either.

After the meal, he pays the check and we leave. This time, instead of taking my hand he wraps his arm around my waste. I smile widely and lean against him lightly.

"It's only nine o'clock," he starts. "We don't have to go back yet."

"Awesome. Have anywhere in mind?"

"Yeah, do you mind shadow travelling again?"

"No. Just don't let go of me," I mumble.

"I won't."

* * *

Already I'm starting to get used to the shadow travelling. The feeling isn't pleasant, but it's not _nearly _as bad with Nico's hand around me.

We arrive in a really dark area. It takes my eyes a bit to adjust. Only the moon casts a soft glow over what appears to be… headstones.

"Where are we?" I ask, although I already know the answer.

"Um. A graveyard. Does it bother you?"

"You brought me to a graveyard?" I repeat, confused.

"Well, if it bothers you then we can leave," he says softly.

"I just don't get it. Why?"

He lets go of my waste and turns me so I face him.

"So that I can do this."

Nico leans in and kisses me. It's not like the other times we've kissed. This is… more. His lips move strongly against mine and I kiss back hungrily. I feel his arms wrap around my shoulder and he brings me in closer, pressing me against him. Standing on my tippy toes, I reach up and entwine my fingers in his thick hair, making knots around my hands.

After a while, we break for air. I look at him like he's priceless, still unsure how he ever became mine.

"You're really beautiful Rachel," he croons tenderly. "You have pretty eyes."

It hits me then that he couldn't be any more perfect. Honestly, after Percy, I never really thought much about boys. I figured it wasn't even worth trying. But this is different from anything I've ever felt. Maybe it's not quite love yet, but it's close.

I respond by leaning up and kissing him again. This time it's much slower, less urgent. The haste is gone and is replaced by steady warmth that spreads from my chest out to my fingertips. I sigh sadly when we break apart and Nico laughs at the devastated expression on my face.

"Hey, it's not like I'm leaving you. We're both going back to camp together," he whispers.

"Yeah, but, Nico…." I mutter, not really sure where I'm going with this.

He kisses my lips once more to console me.

* * *

Mid kiss we disappear into the blackness and arrive near the Big House at camp. _Definitely my favorite way to shadow travel._

Nico turns to drop me off at my room, but we run directly into an angry Chiron and a very guilty looking Annabeth and Percy. They glance at us apologetically.

Chiron, on the other hand, just stares at us. Nico gives me an amused look and flattens my hair, trying to make it seem like we weren't just… making out.

"You two. I honestly never expected it. You guys are older. You know the rules. Yet you disregarded them completely!" he starts to lecture us. "What a terrible example for the younger kids!"

"Sorry Chiron. We just wanted some time alone." I really hate to disappoint him. Even if I am not technically a camper, he looks after me and I appreciate it.

"I don't want to hear it. Both of you have kitchen duty tomorrow. For breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Get there an hour before each mealtime. And go back to your cabins. Now."

Chiron turns and enters his house. But before he completely turns his back to us, I catch something in his eyes. If I'm not wrong, he looks almost amused. I sigh in relief, knowing that he's not too mad.

"Goodnight, Nico. I had a really, _really_ good time."

"So did I. See you tomorrow." He looks like he wants to kiss me again, but it's a little uncomfortable with Annabeth and Percy less than three feet away.

Percy and Nico turn to go back to their cabins.

When Percy thinks they're out of earshot, I hear him ask.

"So, did you kiss her?"

Nico nods and Percy gives him a high five. Annabeth shakes her head.

"I'll never understand them," she utters.

"Neither will I," I agree.

"So? How was it?"

"It. Was. Amazing!" I flounder, not caring about my stupidity. She smiles.

"Sorry for blowing your cover. Percy, being the kelp head his is, went into some extensive description about how deathly sick Nico was. Chiron went to check on him, and I guess you can figure out what happened from there."

"It's fine. Plus, this means I'll get to be with Nico all day tomorrow!" I exclaim, grinning at the thought.

"Alright, well see you tomorrow Rachel. Glad you guys had a good time." She winks at me.

"Thanks Annabeth."

* * *

Once I'm back in my room I take my makeup off. My black eye isn't getting any better. I shrug it off and change into a pair of sweatpants. Sleep doesn't come easy, as I'm still jittery from the events of that night. However, I'm comforted by the fact that across camp Nico is undoubtedly thinking about me as well.


	13. Pizza Problems

**A/N: This chapter is overly cliché... sorry, I had to :). Thanks so much and enjoy. Of course, any feedback is appreciated.**

"That's sugar, Rachel. We need _salt_," Nico snorts, removing the package from my hands.

"Sugar, salt. Big difference," I scoff, marching over to the cabinet and pulling out the correct ingredient.

"I don't think you'll still feel that way if the entire camp is after you for making sugary pizza dough."

"Whatever. I don't understand cooking. This is why take-out was invented."

"Take-out for the over one hundred campers?"

"Yeah. Have a problem with that?"

I stick out my tongue at him and dump a little too much salt into the large bowl, causing Nico to wince.

"Rachel, you're killing me. Making pizza is in my blood. I didn't know it was possible for you to be that spastic."

He stalks over to me and scoops me up, placing me on the counter.

"Stay. Here." He emphasizes each word sternly. "And don't touch anything." He then turns around and begins to knead the pizza dough.

Of course, I listen for all of five seconds before I jump off and land behind him.

"I can't touch _anything_?" I repeat, making my voice as innocent as possible. Standing up on my toes, I press my lips lightly behind his ear. Once. Twice. Three times. His hands freeze against the sheet of dough.

Nico groans. "You're a devil, did you know that?"

"Did the red hair tip you off?" I smirk against his neck.

With one arm, he pulls around and takes my head in his floury hands.

"Leave. Me. Alone," he retorts, kissing me in between each word. I sigh and lazily walk back over to my spot on the counter. Kicking my legs back and forth, I watch Nico finish working.

After making about ten large pizzas, he goes to the refrigerator and comes back with a massive bucket, full of sauce. Dipping a ladle in, he smears the red paste across the dough. I watch him, mesmerized, as he delicately swirls it around, carefully making sure to cover the entire crust.

"How did you learn how to do this?" I ask him.

Reluctantly, he looks up. "I used to watch my mom. She was a really good cook."

"Oh, that's nice," I nod, slightly uncomfortable. I know his family is a touchy subject, so I distract both of us by sticking my hand in the mozzarella bowl and munching on the cheese.

Nico turns to me, his eyes narrowing. Quickly, he snatches the dish away and dips his hand in, layering the cheese on top of the sauce. After he finishes covering all the pizzas, he walks over to me and places the nearly empty bowl down.

"Now, just to cook them. Then we can get out of here."

With a large yank, he pulls the oven door open rolls up his sleeves. I watch his large muscles ripple as he slides the pizzas into the flames. The heat from the fire spreads out, rapidly warming the small kitchen.

I notice the back of my neck is damp with moisture and hastily pull up my hair. Nico's bare arms shine with sweat as well, making him look even more attractive than usual. I scold myself for staring, but then realize that's he's my boyfriend so it's acceptable.

To my excitement, after he closes the oven door he comes and sits down next to me.

"I promise, just a few more minutes. Then we're done."

"No problem, thanks for doing… everything." I lick the sauce ladle and grin.

"Rachel, have you ever seen food before in your life?"

"Hey," I snap, finishing off the sauce. "This is really good."

"I think I know something that tastes even better."

He puts his arm around my waste and slides me until I'm pressed against his side. With one hand, he tilts up my chin and kisses me. My lips part and I sigh.

Which causes him to laugh.

"What's so funny?" I growl, glaring at him and biting my bottom lip.

"You are," he trails off, kissing me on the nose.

"Well you're pretty corny," I respond in rebuttal. "_I know something that tastes even better_," I repeat in my best impression of his voice.

The next thing I notice I have the remaining contents of the shredded mozzarella bowl in my hair.

"Nico!" I shriek, shaking my head. "Why?"

He shrugs. "You're cute when you're mad. And you called me corny."

I just stare wide-eyed at him, too annoyed to think of a comeback.

Uncharacteristic of me, I know.

"Okay, let me take the pizza out of the oven. Stay here," he says, stretching as he walks over to the oven. I huff and watch him pry open the door and remove the pizzas, placing them on the opposite side of the kitchen from me.

_Probably smart._

The scent wafts over and I sniff the air curiously. They actually smell really good. I want to go see them, but I remember that I am ordered to stay in place.

"Permission to leave the counter, sir?" I call sarcastically.

"Permission granted," he replies, prodding one of the pizzas with his finger.

I walk over and gaze at the golden pizzas. Giving him a thumbs-up, we go to leave the kitchen. Of course, being the amazingly coordinated person I am, I bump one of the pans with my hip on the way out, sending the tray clattering to the ground.

Nico looks at me, his expression one of absolute terror, as the pizza lands on the kitchen floor with a splat.

I curse under my breath.

"Hades, Rachel!" he cries, picking up the pizza and placing it back on the tray.

I'm speechless. This situation is absolutely not funny. Not in the slightest. Which is why we look at each other and burst into laughter.

"Well," I say, examining the infected pizza. "It looks good as new. No one will ever know."

"No. Absolutely not. We are not feeding this to the camp," he replies, adamantly against it. His face is unwavering.

We start bickering about it, which is when one of the kitchen staff comes and picks up the tray, carrying it directly out to the pavilion. We both scream after her, but it's too late.

I bury my face in Nico's shirt.

"Let's get out of here. Fast."

We both scurry out of the kitchen and take a seat at the Hades table.

* * *

After the meal, Chiron walks over to us. We stiffen and pretend to be deep into a conversation about battle strategies.

"Sorry to interrupt, but I'd like to thank you guys for your help today. And I hope you both learned your lesson."

We nod dramatically, heads bobbing up and down.

"I must know," he continues. "How did you make the pizza? We got so many compliments today about how great it was."

Nico looks down at his plate and starts to laugh. Luckily, my years of prep school have prepared me for this, so I'm able to maintain a straight face. Swiftly, I kick Nico under the table. That shuts him up.

"Oh, you know, just how the directions said to make it," I respond, waving my hand nonchalantly. "And we had a good time and definitely learned our lesson." I try to make my voice as sincere as possible.

"Well, that's great," he says, pleased. "If you guys liked it so much, you're really welcome to work in the kitchen any time you want."

"NO!" Nico and I shout in unison so loudly that the entire camp turns to see what all the commotion is about.


	14. Children of Death

"Hey, do you know where Nico is?" I ask Percy at breakfast. Bleary eyed, he turns around to look at the Hades table, which is empty.

With a yawn he says, "That kid could sleep through a hurricane. I'm sure he just didn't get up on time, go check his cabin." He then returns to prodding his pancakes with a fork.

I jog over to the Hades cabin and rap harshly on the door, waiting for a response. There is none.

_Nico is a really heavy sleeper; I guess he just didn't hear me. _

I knock harder, but to no avail. Giving up, I push open the door and step inside.

"Get up sleepyhead," I yell obnoxiously. I walk over to his bed and am shocked to find that it there is no one there. The covers are still turned down, giving the sense that no one had slept in it all night.

"Nico?" I call uncertainly. "Are you there?"

My yells are greeted by an eerie silence that rings throughout the cabin.

I gulp. "Is this a joke? It's not funny. Can you please come out?"

Still nothing. _Great._

I dash back to the pavilion and search through all the campers, my worry increasing by the minute. It isn't unlike Nico to just leave, but I doubt that he would take off without telling anyone. Especially me.

My confidence lowers and I get a terrible feeling in my stomach. _Something is wrong. _Nervously, I go and join Annabeth at her table.

"Have you seen Nico?" I ask her as well. She replies with a shake of her head.

"Annabeth, he's not in his cabin," I continue, "He _wasn't _in his cabin all of last night. He's not in camp. I'm telling you."

She shrugs. "You know Nico, he does this sometimes. Don't take it personally."

Slightly reassured, I rest my head in my hands. I have a busy schedule ahead of me for the day, so I think about that to distract myself from worrying about Nico.

* * *

At lunchtime, he's still not there and my uneasiness grows. Everyone continues to lessen the issue, claiming that it's not a big deal. I resolve to talk to Chiron if he's still absent by dinner.

* * *

I scurry over to the pavilion at dinnertime. Quickly, I scrape more than half of my meal into the fire and mutter an unenthusiastic prayer. Crossing my fingers, I peek around the corner to look at the Hades table.

It's more lifeless than ever.

Biting the inside of my cheek, I wait for Chiron to make announcements. After he finishes, I walk over to his table.

"Um, excuse me Chiron?" I ask.

The expression on my face must be very uncharacteristic for me because Chiron gives me a concerned look.

"Come with me, Rachel," he says calmly, whisking me off to the side.

I start to talk rapidly, which is what I do when I'm nervous.

"Chiron, sorry to bother you. But Nico hasn't been in camp all day. And I've checked everywhere. He's not in his cabin. He hasn't come to any of the meals. Nothing. And it's just weird because he didn't tell me or mention it and I'm just really confused and—"

"Rachel," he says, cutting me off. His face is grave. "He asked me to leave today. Don't worry about him. He's dealing with something personal. I'd explain to you but it's not my information to give out. I'm sure he'll be back soon."

I nod and return to my room, forgetting about dinner.

* * *

Once inside, I pull out my green leather notebook and begin to sketch. Usually, I don't draw people, but I begin with Nico's eyes and then his nose. For his hair I smear my finger against the paper to give it the dark, unkempt appearance it always has.

By connecting lines and shapes, he begins to form. I draw him fighting a monster, his square jaw tight and his arms raised above his head, a look of power in his eyes. After I finish, I place the picture at the end of the bed to admire it. It's far from perfect. I feel a pang in my stomach and realize how much I miss him.

I change into pajamas and pull my hair out of its braid, letting it fall in waves to my shoulders. Crawling under the covers, I fight to keep my mind blank and begin to nod off to sleep.

"Hey Rachel," I hear a low voice whisper and I shoot up out of bed.

"Nico!" I cry, and I'm about to scold him for appearing in my room when I take in his appearance.

He looks paler than normal and weak, his shoulders are stooped forwards. The most disturbing things are his eyes, which are red and puffy like he has been crying. _Nico? Crying?_

"Gods Nico, what happened?" I ask tentatively, biting the inside of my cheek. "Are you okay? Are you hurt? Where have you been?"

He sighs and leans his forehead against the wall, rubbing his eyes.

"Can I sit down?" he asks after a minute.

Nodding, I pat the end of the bed. He walks over and sits on the side, shifting so that he faces me.

"What's wrong?" I repeat anxiously.

"Nothing."

"Nico, please just tell me."

He contemplates it for a moment, his unfocused eyes staring at nothing in particular. I don't dare say another word.

"So," he begins, his voice shaking a little. "I was visiting my sister, Bianca. It's the anniversary of her death. She died on the mission with Percy a few years ago. She doesn't like when I come to see her too much. She only lets me come once a year. Today."

"How um, is she?" I ask. "I'm really sorry, Nico."

"Don't feel sorry for me," he says, his eyes hardening. "Feel sorry for her. She shouldn't be dead."

"A lot of good people die that don't deserve it. I think you, of all people, would understand that," I say. His devastation hurts me, but I try to be strong for him.

His eyes flash. "I know, Rachel. But it's _so hard. _ I don't have a mother or a sister. They're both dead. And my dad hasn't obviously been around my entire life. The only time he talks to me is when he needs something. In fact, he'd probably be happier if I were dead so I could work for him." He clenches his fists against the bedcover and hangs his head.

Trying to be strong, I take one of his hands in mine and pry open his tight grip, tracing the lines in his hand.

"Look, I know that I can never replace your family. But I also know what it's like to have parents that aren't always around. And Nico, if you want me, I'm always…" I pause, strengthening my voice. "I'm always here for you."

He doesn't respond for a moment, he just glares at our hands.

"Thanks."

He then closes his eyes and stays silent, fighting some sort of inner battle against his emotions. As usual, he wins.

When he opens his eyes he seems almost normal again.

"Sorry if I woke you up," he says.

"I'm glad you did."


	15. Apollo's Visit

**A/N: Sorry this took so long. I'm really excited about this chapter, it was a fun one to write and I hope you all enjoy. As always, thank you so much for the kind reviews, they truly inspire me to write. I was reading them on the bus on the way home from school and I was practically crying, which probably looked weird to everyone else but I don't really care :) Hope you like it!**

I pull back the bowstring, feeling the frame of the bow quiver and stretch. Closing one eye, I shift my feet so that the point of the arrow is aimed directly at the dummy's heart. I inhale and let go of the arrow, the string snapping back into place with a loud crack. It lands in the dummy's arm, about six inches away from where I was aiming.

"You're getting better!" one of the Apollo kids encourages me. "Try to keep your elbow up and pull your hand back to your ear."

I nod and try again, with a little more success. This time, I'm only four inches away. _At least it's closer._

Since time is up and the lesson is over, I walk to the water cooler and get a drink. Annabeth is already there; she takes a long sip of the water and pulls her blonde hair up in a ponytail. She is in this class too, although I'm not sure why. She's almost perfect with a bow and arrow, it's like she's a daughter of Apollo.

"Hey Rachel, do you want to come down to the lake with me? Percy and Nico are there finishing a kayaking lesson and I figured if you have some time we can all hang out."

I give her a thumbs-up and feel a shooting pain throughout my arms— they feel like lead.

"Meet you outside the Big House in ten minutes?" I ask.

"Sure."

I run back to my room and sort through my clothes for a bathing suit. I find an orange bikini and grab a towel from my closet. On top of the bathing suit, I wear an overly large shirt that falls to my knees. I apply a thin layer of sunscreen on my face because I'm not that tan and I burn easily.

On the way out I pass my mirror hanging on the wall. My hair is a frizzy, tangled mess. As usual, I pull out my blue hairbrush and yank out the angry snarls. It still looks puffy so I grab a hair tie and put it up.

Annabeth is waiting for me when I get outside. We quickly walk to the lake.

When we get there, the lesson is almost over. We lie out our towels and sit down next to one another. Percy is teaching the class of about ten demigods. They're having a race as the last activity for the day.

We hear Percy scream from across the lake.

"On your mark. Get set. Go!"

Nico takes the lead quickly. And by a lot. Within a few strong strokes he pulls ahead of the rest of the group. I'm about to cheer him on when his kayak starts to wobble.

He thrashes from side to side, trying to regain his balance. The expression on Nico's face is priceless, a mix between fear, annoyance, and exasperation. The kayak continues to rock and with one final tilt the boat flips.

Annabeth and I start to laugh.

"I think that was Percy," she chuckles.

Nico pops back up above the water and starts to yell at his cousin.

"Yup, definitely Percy," she concludes.

Percy shrugs innocently and Nico swims over to him. Nico pushes him under the water, but when Percy resurfaces he sends a massive wave that crashes directly on Nico's head.

Meanwhile, a Hermes girl wins the race. Since the boys are too busy wrestling each other, Annabeth and I clap for her. She smiles gives us a wave.

Everyone exits the lake and returns to their cabin. Percy and Nico are last to leave. They haven't seen us yet. Once on the sand, they jog over to get their towels, which are next to us. Halfway up the beach, Nico sticks out his foot, causing Percy to eat a mouthful of sand.

"You suck, Nico," Percy whines spitting out the sand.

The rest of us laugh, which is when they finally notice us.

Percy stands up quickly and brushes the sand off of his chest. We wave to them and they grin back at us, Percy looking a little embarrassed.

Nico comes over and sits next to me, the water dripping off his chest. He's really built up and I watch his abs stretch from the corner of my eye as he lies down on the towel, trying not to make it too obvious.

He catches me staring at him and pulls me down against him. He's cool from the water while I'm hot from the sun, so it feels nice.

"You got me wet," I pout, smiling a little.

"The witch will finally melt!" he cheers and I drop my jaw in mock horror.

Across from us, Percy leans over and gives Annabeth a kiss, at which she starts to gag.

"Ew, you're all sandy and it got in my mouth!" she exclaims, sticking her tongue out and wiping it with the towel.

"Come on Wise Girl, let's go swimming," Percy says, pulling her to her feet. Hand in hand, they run to the water and disappear under the waves.

"I doubt they'll be coming up for a while," I remark.

"Mhmm. So how was your day?" Nico asks, yanking lightly on my ponytail. I turn my face up towards him and slide off so I'm not on top of him anymore, but next to him instead.

"I'm amazing at archery. I could hit your eye from fifty meters away," I jest.

His bottom lip curls into a frown.

"So eager to have me dead, huh?"

"I'm just stating the facts," I tease, putting my hand on his arm.

He slides my towel closer so we're chest to chest.

"Are we going to go swimming?" I ask, putting my forehead against his.

"I'm kind of scared to go in… gods know what Percy and Annabeth are doing down there. Plus, I'm really fine up here with you," he murmurs, kissing me lightly on the cheek.

"But," I protest, feeling the blood rush to my face. _I can't believe I'm about to say this._ "I have such a nice bathing suit on."

"Well, let's see it then." I feel his fingers brush the hem of the shirt. "Can I?"

I nod mutely.

He tugs the shirt over my head, his fingers grazing my ribs. Despite the heat, I shiver, but raise my arms, allowing him to take it off completely.

He looks me up and down and I try my best not to seem scared. Meanwhile, inside my heart is racing a mile a minute. He raises his eyebrows, the expression on his face incredulous. I stare into his eyes and it eases my anxiety.

He returns my glance.

"Jeez, Rachel, you look like you're going to kill me," he mutters.

I soften my expression.

"Sorry, it's just—I was…" I frown, my stomach clenching into a tight ball.

"Well," he interjects, saving me from my embarrassing loss of words, "I agree. That _is _a nice bathing suit. And it matches your hair."

I regain my confidence.

"I wasn't sure if you'd like the orange. Sometimes I get the sense that you're more of a black kind of guy."

"Black, orange, what's the difference?"

"A lot if you're an artist."

"That's your job, not mine."

Before I can respond, he presses his lips against mine. He wraps his arms around my head, pulling my face in closer. With one hand he pulls out my hair tie so that the red strands fall in a curtain around us. He pushes it out of the way and we continue like this, hardly stopping to breathe.

A blinding flash of light disrupts us shortly after.

We sit up to see a blond-haired man, about twenty-five years old, standing a few feet away from us. He's wearing beach shorts and a red t-shirt, and has black sunglasses covering his face. Almost radiant, he appears to be glowing.

He places the sunglasses on top of his head and stares at us. He seems extremely uncomfortable and keeps shifting his weight from foot to foot.

I figure it out quickly. _Apollo. _ The gods really have awful timing, although judging from his expression I don't think he accidentally happened to appear during us making out.

"Hi, sir," I say uncomfortably. I feel Nico stiffen against my side.

"Rachel, Nico," he acknowledges us both with a curt nod of his head.

"How are you?"

"I'm well, although I think you know why I'm here."

I roll my eyes. _Not the smartest thing to do in front of an angry god._

"We get it, Apollo," Nico says. "We're not doing anything bad, so it's not any of your business."

_He's even worse than I am. _

"I don't want to cause any trouble. And I know you guys haven't, technically, done anything wrong so far. But I'm just here to remind you that Rachel is the Oracle. The _virgin _Oracle. It has to stay like that," he warns.

"I think we're all aware of the rules and what they entail," Nico replies shortly.

"Look, I don't want to be here any more than you guys want me to. But the other gods are making me remind you. Don't let it get out of hand. We've all been watching you guys recently and—"

"You've been _watching _us?" Nico interrupts through his teeth.

"Not like, constantly, but the gods are always attentive to what's going on, especially with someone like the Oracle. She's very important to all of us and we have to be mindful of her actions."

"I'm not a child. I understand what I can and cannot do and I think I can make those decisions on my own," I boast my chest out.

Nico takes my hand in defiance, which doesn't go unnoticed by Apollo. He passes a hand over his face wearily.

"Just be careful. You have been forewarned and there will be dire consequences if you disobey the rules. And if I were you, I'd lose the attitude. The gods are already doing you a favor as it is." His voice booms and he starts to shimmer. We both divert our eyes as he turns into a striking ball of light and vanishes.

I take a shaky breath and look at Nico. His eyes, black as death, are blazing dangerously.

"That is so unfair. But, I'm sorry I got you in trouble," I mumble, guilt seeping into my voice.

He looks at me firmly.

"Rachel, it's not your fault. Don't feel bad. I don't care about them either. All they care about is their stupid rules. Forget their kids, their families that they just abandon, and the wars they cause by stupid arguments. They do everything for themselves and don't care about anyone else that they're affecting. And fine, if there have to be rules then there are a bunch of better ways to go about informing people than what just happened!" he storms.

His rant is answered with a crackle of thunder.

"I don't care!" he shouts in the direction of the noise.

"Nico," I begin unsteadily, my voice hitching in my throat, "it's not like we're at that point yet. And someday, if we are, then we'll figure it out then."

"I know, I'm sorry," he says, his voice calmer.

"And, on the bright side—no pun intended—Apollo probably won't be bothering us again for a while," I respond.

All of a sudden, Percy and Annabeth emerge out of the water. They walk over and I fix Annabeth's bathing suit strap, which has been connected wrong. Or reconnected wrong. I'm pretty sure it wasn't like that before.

She gives me a grateful look that confirms my thoughts.

"Are you guys okay? We heard thunder and came up," Percy informs us.

"Yeah, we just got a visit from the Sun God. He was mad because… you know…" I shrug. "We're not really supposed to be together."

Percy and Annabeth look alarmed.

"Gods, guys, what were you _doing _up here that would make him so angry?"

"N-Nothing!" I sputter. "Not what you think. It was just a warning for the future."

Nico turns bright red and glares at the ground. Annabeth and Percy shift uncomfortably.

"Okay, well Annabeth and I are going to head to lunch. See you guys later!" Percy says to break the awkwardness.

We wave and watch them walk away, hand-in-hand. I turn back to Nico but the romantic mood is gone. He gives me a wistful glance and places his hand on my knee.

"Take it off!" I yelp, kicking his hand away. He pulls his hand off like I burned him and looks at me, alarmed. I curl my knees into my chest and wrap my arms around my legs.

"I'm really ticklish there," I admit.

"On your knees?" he asks, a smile finally breaking across his face.

"Yeah, is that weird?"

"Very."

He looks me up and down one more time, with an expression of admiration. Despite feeling a little down, my pulse quickens and I lose my train of thought.

I watch the water gleaming on his face. One drop of water from his hair drips down, curling in the corner of his mouth. I take my finger and wipe it off, tracing his bottom lip.

He takes my hand in his and kisses my finger. Entwining my fingers in his, he pulls me to my feet.

"Rachel…" he falters.

"Yeah?" I say delicately.

He shakes his head and changes his mind. "You forgot your shirt."

He lets go of me and picks it up. I raise my hands and he pulls it over my head.

"Race you to the pavilion?" I quip, sprinting away.

"No! Ugh—Rachel!" he yells behind me, but smile as I hear him racing behind me.

By the time he gets to the pavilion I'm already at the Hades table with two grilled cheese sandwiches.

"Is that for me?" he asks casually.

"Oh, no, it's for Travis Stoll. Have you seen him anywhere?" I question, grinning.

"I—I'm being replaced?" He puts his hands on his chest in mock horror.

"Well," I say, sizing him up, "I guess you can have the grilled cheese… but there's a price."

He leans in, capturing my lips in his, and I feel electricity shoot through my veins.

I shrug. "I guess that will do."

"I thought so."


	16. Seventeen Birthday Kisses

**A/N: Hello Everyone! Sorry that it has taken so long to update. Finals... yay :/. Anyway, here's chapter 16! Of course, thanks to everyone who reviewed, I can't explain how much I appreciate the support. Also, if you haven't checked out my other stories you should definitely do that, especially if you like Percabeth. Thanks and enjoy :)**

_One day. Of course I save this for the last day. Can they even make something good in one day? Why did I wait?_

I dash over to Cabin 9, the Hephaestus cabin, and knock eagerly on the metal door.

"Hold on!" A gruff voice calls from the inside. Anxiously, I shift from foot to foot, hoping they can help me with what I need.

With a hiss, the door opens, steam pouring out from the inside like a dragon breathing fire. My eyes water and I choke back a cough. A bulky figure emerges from the dark cabin and leans against the doorframe.

It's the same kid that was rude to me at breakfast. Great. I'll have to be nice.

"Hi!" I announce, giving him a friendly smile. "My name is Rachel, you know, the Oracle."

"Hi Rachel, I'm Teddy," he bellows as he cracks his knuckles. "Do you need something?"

I smirk at the irony; the kid looks nothing like a teddy bear. He's built like an ox, with large broad muscles and wide hands covered in some sort of grease…

_Ew, gross._

Despite that, he's been nice so far.

"Um, yeah, I was wondering if—"

"Who's the gift for?" he interrupts, but not in a rude way. I guess he's quick to the point.

"For my boyfriend, Nico. His birthday is tomorrow and—"

"Tomorrow?" he cuts me off again, a smirk on his face. "Late much?"

"Yeah, I know. I get it," I grumble, starting to get annoyed. "Can you guys make anything good? Please?"

He gives a hearty laugh. "I don't think we can make anything cool for tomorrow, but you can take a look at some stuff we already have." He gestures for me to enter, sliding out of the way and disappearing into the bright room.

Hesitantly, I follow him, squinting from the glare of the sunlight on the sheer metal walls. The bunks are folded against the wall, and there is a massive control panel in the center of the room. On the opposite side, there are stairs leading down through the floor. Giving me an impatient wave, Teddy descends into the basement, leaving me to scurry after him.

At the bottom there is a sturdy wooden door that appears worn from years of use. A large brass knob sticks out and the entire wooden board rests uneasily on seemingly ancient hinges. Teddy walks over to a control panel on the side and quickly types in a seven-digit number. With a hiss, the door slides smoothly open, revealing a workspace. Wow.

There's a basic workbench pressed against the back wall. To the left are piles and piles of material; wires sticking out of buckets and overturned jars of screws litter the floor. It's a complete mess. _This could give my room a run for its money. _

On the right there are shining pieces of armor hanging on the wall, each intricately worked on by eager campers.

_There's gotta be something in here for him._

"So, do you know what you're looking for? Armor, weapons, accessories? You name it, and I'll see what I can do," Teddy states proudly, boasting out his chest in pride.

"This is incredible! I honestly don't know where to begin," I fret, looking around the room wildly. "What do guys like, usually?"

"Uhh, I mean it really depends. Here, how about this?" He hands me a helmet with a large feather sticking out the top. "It changes color to match your surroundings. It's great for camouflaging and capture the flag."

Up close, it looks fairly ridiculous. I'm pretty sure Nico would have a heart attack if I gave it to him.

"It doesn't scream 'Nico' to me, although this is _very_ cool," I reply, gently handing it back to him.

"Accessory of some sort? We have leather bracelets will all types of gadgets." He walks over to a drawer and pulls some out after rummaging for a while. He points to a thick black one. "You see, when you shake this, it unfolds to create a pocket knife."

I grimace. "Thanks, but I don't think Nico will like the jewelry."

Teddy lets out an exasperated sigh.

"Please, I have to get back to work. Do you have _any_ idea what you're looking for?"

I glance at the rows of armor hanging on the wall. Nico has armor, and he has a sword. But, he doesn't have a shield.

I turn to Teddy triumphantly.

"A shield! He needs a shield."

"Okay, but we only have this one," he says, rolling it out from behind a gigantic toolbox.

When I see it, I rush over to Teddy and give him a tight hug. It's perfect.

"I'm guessing you like it," he says curtly, but I swear the corner of his mouth twitches when he sees my expression.

I nod so sharply that my head almost falls off.

The shield is a large circle and the defining feature is a massive skull that shines grimly from the center. Around the skull are four intricately designed portrayals of dragons.

"He'll love it!" I exclaim, breathless.

"Well, I'm glad. Plus, in complete darkness the skull glows. You know, glow-in-the-dark."

I resist the temptation to hug him again. Instead, I thank him wholeheartedly and head back to my room, stowing the shield under a towel.

* * *

"Percy, don't you _dare_ touch the cake," I warn, glaring at him. He gives it a longing look and forlornly walks over to Annabeth, who rolls her eyes. I snicker and turn to the rest of the group. "Everyone hide, he'll be here any minute."

The few demigods gathered in Nico's cabin scurry around, ducking behind the furniture. I squat down under the window and lean my head against the dark cabin wall. The blinds are pulled shut, making it impossible to see more than a few inches in front of my face.

We sit there for about ten minutes before everyone starts to get rowdy. Impatiently, they begin to giggle and whisper across the cabin.

_ Where is he? He should be here any second._

I grit my teeth and resist the urge to yell at them.

"Rachel?" Percy whisper-screams from across the room. "How much longer?"

I stand up and move the curtain out of the way, allowing me to peek through the window. Of course, this happens to be the exact moment Nico is staring at his cabin. Quickly, I rush back down, but not before I see a confused expression plastered on Nico's face. He enters the cabin shortly after.

"Hello?" he calls. "Why are you in here without the light on?" The floor groans under his weight as he takes a step towards the light switch.

"OUCH!" someone sharply yelps from the floor, causing Nico to jump back in fright. "Watch where you're going!"

"Holy Zeus! What's going on here?" Nico replies.

Aggravated, I flick on the light switch.

"Surprise!" I say through my teeth, squinting as my eyes adjust to the light. Nico just blinks at me for a moment, his face blank.

The reaction from everyone else in the room is delayed. Finally, they catch on.

"Happy birthday Nico!" they cheer in unison and then burst into song. Even the kid that Nico apparently kicked stands up, clutching his abdomen. Slightly uncomfortable, Nico rubs the back of his head with one hand, pushing up his hair so it stands up. His face is a mixture of weariness and alarm as if he is completely unaware that it's his birthday.

After the song is over, Annabeth walks over to the cake and lights the candles.

"Make a wish!" everyone shouts. Still in a daze, he blows them out in one big gust. There's a round of applause and the corner of Nico's mouth curls into a half-grin.

"Wow, seventeen," Percy teases. "Looks like the annoying little cousin isn't so little anymore."

Nico gives Percy a murderous look and makes a grab for him. Quick to react, Percy jumps clear over the bed and races around the room. Nico is faster and dives after his legs, causing Percy to land with a heavy thud on the ground. His arm hits one of the legs of the table where the cake is resting, causing it to shudder violently.

"NOT THE CAKE!" I firmly place my hands on the table, to secure it. The cake took me forever to decorate; it is _not _going to end up on the floor.

Meanwhile, Percy and Nico have agreed to a truce, so they both stand up and dust themselves off. They turn towards the cake and both give it an identical look of hunger. Annabeth chuckles next to me.

"Rachel, did you make this?" Nico asks happily, walking over to me. My heart leaps. _It's nice that he finally acknowledges me. _

I purse my lips. "Yeah, it took me a while so I would appreciate it if you two morons were careful."

"You _made _it?" Nico clarifies, his eyebrows shooting up. "As in, baked it? I mean, it looks amazing but your cooking skills are…"

If it wasn't his birthday I'd probably kill him.

"Technically I didn't _bake _it," I explain, causing him to smile in relief. "I just decorated."

He returns his attention to the cake again. I made it to match his shield. It's chocolate with chocolate frosting and a big white skill in the middle. Around it are four meticulously crafted dragon figurines, complete with wings. One of them is even breathing a cloud of orange icing fire.

"It's incredible Rach," he concedes.

"Thanks," I blush. "Now cut the damn cake and let's eat already."

He takes a knife and digs in. After everyone has a piece, we all cram around Nico's black leather couch. All the demigods appear to be having a great time, even Nico who is laughing and chatting with his friends.

Taking my piece, I go to sit down somewhere, but all the seats are taken. I'm about to resign to sitting on the floor when Nico shrugs and pats his lap.

I raise one eyebrow in question but walk over and sit on him. He puts his piece of cake down and wraps his arms around me tightly. I lean my head back so that it rests in the crook of his neck. Tilting my chin up to the side, I look him in the eyes.

"I hope this isn't too miserable for you, but I wasn't going to let you go without a party."

Surprisingly, he grins.

"This isn't as bad as I thought it would be," he says sincerely.

"Happy birthday," I whisper. "Plus, now I'm only three years older."

"Well," he replies, "if it bothers you that much then I can technically be like seventy—"

"Nope we're good. And this conversation is over," I interject.

I look into his dark eyes longingly and want to kiss him so badly. The stirring in my chest is impossible to resist. He stares back into mine as if we're thinking the same thing. If only there weren't so many people in here…

"Will you come to my room later?" I blurt.

He crinkles his nose.

"After curfew?"

"You can shadow travel. I have your present in my room," I add as an excuse.

"You got me something?"

"Of course."

"Well if you _insist_," he says dramatically.

He rests his head on top of mine and I melt into his side. The next hour goes by quickly with loud chatter and I sit contently where I am. Even as people start to leave, Nico doesn't let go, which is fine with me.

Eventually it's only the two of us. He tilts his head down to capture my lips but I turn my head to block him.

"Meet me in my room or else we'll get in trouble," I say and walk out the door, ignoring the strained expression on Nico's face with a smile.

The night is calm and warm. A bright moon shines overhead, lighting the walk. I return to my room briskly, with a slight spring in my step. When I get back, I turn the knob to my door and jump when I see Nico is waiting for me inside.

"Hey," he says.

"That was fast," I respond lightly, placing my stuff down on my desk.

"I didn't get to—you know—be with you before." He makes a small noise in the back of his throat.

My heart swells in my chest.

"Well, first things first," I walk over to my closet and pull out his present. "This is for you." He sees the shield and smiles appreciatively. "It even glows in the dark and everything."

"This is incredible Rachel!" he exclaims, testing it out.

"And this isn't much," I continue, "but I made it for you because it was on my mind." I hand him a small sheet of paper.

He studies silently, his brow furrowing together. After what seems like an eternity, he looks up.

"Is this… us?" he asks, tilting his head to the side. On the paper is a picture of the two of us holding hands. My head is thrown back in laugher and Nico is watching me, smiling.

I nod. "Do you like it?"

He responds by walking over to me grabbing my around the waist, pulling me in close. One hand places the piece of paper on the desk behind me and the other cups the side of my face. He leans in to kiss me, but I stop him.

"You get seventeen kisses," I begin, feeling a bit silly but ignoring the uncomfortable feeling swelling in my chest. "One for being the most annoying person in the world," I pause to take in his stupid smile stretched across his face. It's hard to keep talking with him staring so intently at my face. "Two for coming to my art class when no one else did. Three for putting up with my craziness…" I continue counting off the reasons on my fingers until I reach seventeen.

"Don't I get one for good luck?" he asks afterwards.

"Oh," I think for a moment. "Eighteen—you finally get your good luck kiss."

I stand up on my tippy toes to deliver the kisses. He leans down and my hands knot in his thick black hair hungrily. In my head I start to count to eighteen, but lose count around thirty-five.

The closeness between us makes it hard to breathe. My pulse hammers and I lose all thoughts besides the boy with the dark hair kissing me. And I kiss him back steadily.

When we stop to breathe I pull away.

"You really have to go," I whisper sadly.

"Why? It's not like either one of us cares about the rules."

"Yeah," I admit, "but if you want to continue visiting me at night, then we really shouldn't push it.

"You mean I can come back tomorrow?" Nico questions, his face lighting up.

I'm almost sure mine matches. "Sounds good to me. Happy birthday Nico. Hope it was a good one."

"I'd say it wasn't too bad," he says, a sheepish grin slapped across his face.

He disappears in a flash of darkness. The silence in my room isn't lonely as it usually is. In fact, it's quite warm. For the Oracle, I love the kissing way too much. And gods is he good at it…


	17. Don't Touch My Paint

**A/N: Yay another chapter! So happy it's summer, I haven't been up to much recently so that means more time for writing :). I have a lot of great ideas moving forward and great chapter plots that I'm excited to write about. Once again, if you haven't checked out my other stories, look on my profile for those.**

**I hope everyone enjoys this chapter! This brings us to over 30,000 words which is INCREDIBLE! Please please please leave a comment if you like it or have any suggestions/constructive criticism, it doesn't take long and it really does motivate me to write more. Enjoy!**

"WHEN I FIND THEM, I'M GOING TO KILL THEM!" I scream, tearing open the door to my room and flying down the stairs, my red hair trailing behind like flames.

I feel the anger coursing through my body, my cheeks flushed. I curl my hands into fists, my pulse rapidly hammering through every inch of my body.

Usually, I'm good-natured when it comes to pranks, most of the time even being the one to pull them on other people. Usually, I'm able to laugh them off. Usually, they're not a big deal.

But no one—and I mean no one—messes with my paints.

"TRAVIS AND CONNOR STOLL," I announce to the air like a madman when I get outside, "YOU ARE GOING TO PAY."

I must look somewhat insane, because I swear everyone within a mile of me abruptly stops what they're doing to look at me. Most of the faces are shocked, but some people start laughing.

Quite honestly, I couldn't care less.

I bolt over to the Hermes cabin and wrench open the door, wincing slightly as it makes a cracking sound and sharply bounces back.

"Where. Are. Travis. And. Connor." I spit through my teeth scanning the cabin like a hawk searching for prey.

No one in the cabin answers. Instead, they stare at me with amused expressions on their faces as if they are suppressing breaking out into laughter.

I narrow my eyes.

"I don't see what's so funny," I scowl at them all. "They messed up my paints. All of them. They're _ruined_." I emphasize the last word. "They mixed all of the colors. I'm fine with pranks, but that was completely unnecessary."

I try to gain a superior tone, but clearly this has no effect on any of the campers, who simply look more entertained than before.

"Not only that," I continue. "But my room has this smell. Like rotting eggs and decomposed flesh and dying road kill…" I jabber on, trying to make it sound as horrific as possible.

Suddenly, I feel two strong hands on my shoulders. I tense and whirl around, to find a weary Nico looking at me, his eyebrows raised in a silent question.

I bite the inside of my cheek.

"What on Earth is wrong, Rach?"

I grab his hand and yank him towards my room, muttering a gruff, "Follow me."

* * *

Approximately a half hour later, Nico and I are crouched behind a bush next to the archery area, waiting for the Stolls to arrive. The sun beats heavily on our backs as we wait in anticipation for the twins to get a taste of their own medicine.

"You're brilliant," I smirk quietly.

He slides over until we're sitting side by side.

"Just wait for it," he grins, reaching for my hand silently. I curl my fingers around his and rest my head on his shoulder.

The lesson begins soon after and we watch the Stolls as they exchange a few sly glances at one another and pick up their bow and arrows. Connor quickly takes aim and lets an arrow fly, missing a bullseye by a few inches. Smirking, Travis' arrow lands perfectly in the center of the target. He sticks his tongue out at his brother, whose eyes narrow at the challenge.

"It's _so _on," we hear Connor sneer, picking up another arrow and placing it in his bow. He lines himself up, and we hear the _snap_ of the bowstring as he releases the arrow.

It zips towards the desired target until the last second, where it abruptly changes direction. It jars sharply to the left, as if someone had blown it off course. Connor turns toward Travis, a bewildered look plastered on his face. Travis simply grins and arrogantly grabs another arrow, puffing his chest as he lines up and shoots.

The arrow veers off course again, this time knocking a basket of freshly plucked strawberries out of the arms of an unsuspecting Katie Gardner. She turns toward the direction of the arrow and sees Travis, who gives her a meek wave in response.

"YOU ABSOLUTE JERK!" she shrieks, running towards Travis. When she gets there, she slaps him so hard that even I wince from across the way.

"Ouch," Nico laughs silently.

"I don't feel too bad, he deserved it," I reply, grinning.

Connor is practically rolling on the floor, laughing so hard that tears are streaming down his face.

"I. Hate. You," Katie continues, her face flushed.

Travis simply stands there dumbstruck, too confused to comprehend the events of the past minute.

"Don't you have anything to say for yourself?" she continues, standing on her toes and raising her arm in front of his face threateningly.

Out of fear of being struck again, Travis murmurs, "Look, Katie, I really didn't mean that. I swear it was an accident, my arrow is possessed or something."

"You won't even take responsibility for what you did!" she huffs. "All I wanted was an apology but clearly you're too good for that." She turns on her heels and marches away.

This causes Connor to guffaw even more, earning him an angry glare from his brother.

"You monster, look what you've done," Nico jokes, turning to me.

"It was your idea if I remember correctly," I respond.

"Well, I do tend to have all the good ideas," he brags. "In fact, I might just have another one. Follow me."

He pulls me to my feet and runs off, dragging me by the arm across camp and into the woods.

"Close your eyes," he says a few minutes later.

I narrow my eyes at him, not sure it's a good idea.

"You don't trust me?" he says in mock horror, covering my eyes gently with his hand and leading the way.

"Nico, we're not even supposed to be here," I halfheartedly argue, smiling against his palm.

"Since when are you one to care about the rules?" he snorts, to which I don't respond because he really does have a point.

He leads me blindly by the hand, every once in a while having to catch me when I trip on something on the ground. Soon enough he releases me, and I squint against the harsh sunlight. Once my eyes adjust, I can see the small lake in front of us, the water gleaming brightly in the sunlight.

"I know you don't have a bathing suit, but I figured we didn't get to swim before and…"

"It's perfect," I interrupt, blushing slightly at how cheesy that sounded coming out of my mouth.

Trying not to prolong the awkwardness, I grip his hand hard and jump in, pulling him with me. The water is warm and refreshing and we break to the surface at the same time. Nico grins and I smile back. I swim over to him and splash water in his face. Soon enough, we're having a full-out splash fight and honestly it's the happiest I've been in a while, despite the fact that the two of us are acting like little kids.

Naturally, I have to ruin the fun by accidentally swallowing half of the lake. I start coughing violently and Nico swims over, a concerned look on his face. Eventually I stop, but the playful mood is gone and I'm tired from swimming. I swim over to the side and sit in the sand, watching Nico float on his back in front of me. I stretch and look at my legs, which are covered in dirt. Which is when I notice something horrible.

I'm wearing a white shirt.

I scream and cross my arms over my chest protectively, my face red as a ripe tomato. My shirt is completely see-through and I don't have a change of clothes or a towel to cover myself up.

"What's wrong?" Nico asks, quickly coming to my side to see what's wrong.

"Nico," I say sheepishly. "I'm wearing a white shirt. This is so embarrassing."

It takes a moment for him to understand. Promptly, he pulls of his shirt and hands it to me, turning away as I raise it over my head.

"You're a lifesaver," I beam, appreciatively hugging my boyfriend. He pulls my head from his chest and presses his lips against mine. I smile against his mouth and I feel the corner of his twitch into a half smile as well. Involuntarily, my hands make their way around his neck to the base of his hairline.

He lifts me by the armpits and pulls me up against his chest, hugging my small figure in his arms and kissing me one last time before placing me gently on the ground. My chest flutters nervously, still the same response every time he kisses me.

"You know," he says casually, "maybe I did it on purpose. You know, bring you here in a white shirt."

I roll my eyes and shove him in the water, not able to keep an angry expression as he emerges, a boyish grin stretching across his incredibly handsome face.


	18. Time for Goodbye

**A/N: Hello everyone! Yay another update! As usual, thanks so much to everyone who reviews. I'm thinking about writing a new summary for this story, so just a heads-up about that, though it's really not a big deal.**

**In other news, I also posted my new story "Daddy Daycare." If you haven't looked at that yet, then you totally should- ****especially if you like Percabeth. **

**Read, review, and enjoy!**

"I know, the half-Greek, half-Italian blood is so hard to resist," he teases.

I ignore him and wind my fingers through his hair, kissing him hungrily. He kisses me back anxiously, though I can feel the tension in his every move. Eventually, I give up and flop against my bed headfirst, huffing as my face hits the bedcover.

He sits next to me and pulls me to the side, putting my head in his lap so I'm lying across my bed. I cover my face with my hands, refusing to look at him.

"You're just avoiding talking about this, Rach," he says, prying my hands from my face. I avoid his eyes because I know he's right. For some reason he's always the responsible one in this relationship, which drives me crazy. But this is a conversation I've been putting off for a while, though he insists we talk about it.

Now that camp is over tomorrow, there's no escaping it now. All activities are ending and the year-round campers are preparing to stay while the summer campers are packing their bags and getting ready to leave. I'm not staying, and neither is Nico— I have to go to college and Nico has his final year of high school.

We haven't really discussed how things are going to work out between us. I had been trying to convince myself that there isn't going to be a problem; that somehow it will all work out and everything will go along smoothly. Of course, Nico is the reasonable one who wants to just talk it through. He's right too, but for some reason I keep finding myself avoiding the situation rather than simply facing it straight on.

"Rachel, nothing bad is going to happen. We're not breaking up or anything. I just want to talk about it, so we can figure out how this is going to work. Please, look at me." His deep voice tries to comfort me, but it ends up making me even more emotional.

He places a hand on my cheek and strokes his thumb back and forth, leaving a trail of fire where his finger touches. I catch his hand between two of mine and play with his fingers, trying to work up the nerve to talk about my feelings. Both of us being extremely stubborn, I can tell that the thought of trying to express ourselves is making us both quite uncomfortable. It's not like either of us are particularly emotional people.

Finally, I look up into his dark eyes and gain some courage.

"Nico, I've been putting this off because I'm really scared. More than that, I'm terrified. This has been, honestly, the best summer of my life and I'm definitely not ready for it to end. I'd like to think that we'll be fine—I hope it will work out more than anything. But you know how long distance relationships are, I mean they never work out in the movies and I don't know what's going to happen. I guess I always have a sense of what to expect but this time I'm completely blind and it makes me so nervous because this isn't something that I want to be over. And I know this sounds weird or whatever because we've only been dating for a few months but I really care. I've never really had a person to trust, this is all new for me. So I feel really, really vulnerable and I don't want to lose you." I hide my face in his shirt, trying to conceal the multitude of emotions flitting across my face. I _refuse_ to cry; I am determined to be strong.

He doesn't respond for a minute, but simply clears his throat and places a hand on my back.

"Rachel, you're blowing this wildly out of proportion. Nothing is going to change between us. I have faith that two people who helped save the world from Kronos can figure something like this out. Trust me, this is going to be a good transition. In fact, things will only get easier. No camp rules to follow, curfews to obey, boundaries that can't be crossed. We'll have even more freedom than before—"

"But we won't see each other as much."

"That's not true, just Iris Message me and I'll be over to you before you can even turn around. Perks of being the incredibly mysterious son of the God of Death I guess…"

I smile against his shirt. I'm not sure if he can feel the gesture but he gently turns my head and peppers light kisses across my cheeks and my nose. They're soft, but comforting, and they make me believe every word he says.

* * *

The next morning I wake up and gather the few remaining things that weren't packed the previous night. The attic looks scarily empty without my clutter, and my stomach aches with a sense of loneliness and anxiety. I know that I'll be back the next year and many summers more to come, but the thought of leaving Camp Half Blood makes me uneasy, kind of like I'm leaving an important part of me behind.

Nico comes over and I, begrudgingly, agree to let him carry my paintings to the top of the hill, where I'm being picked up. Even though it's still August, there's a cool breeze as if the weather is welcoming us back to a cold, long year of work and stress. We don't talk much but the silence isn't awkward or uneasy.

At the top of the hill is a swarm of campers trying to organize how they're getting home. I see Annabeth doing her best to help out the younger ones, offering them rides if they need them. She gives me a startled grin and motions for me to message her when I'm settled down at school.

Percy is attempting to help Annabeth, but the campers are paying little attention to him as he yells at them to make some sort of line.

"Hey, Percy," I call. He happily runs over, anxious to get out of the chaos.

"Rachel! Nico! Excited to go home?"

We both shrug unenthusiastically, to which he laughs.

"Annabeth is finally moving in with me," he says with a gleam in his eyes. "So I'm actually excited to be going home for once. It's going to be a good year—

"SEAWEED BRAIN WILL YOU GET OVER HERE AND _TRY_ TO HELP!" Annabeth calls. Percy winces, hugs us quickly, and runs over to Annabeth, who is hurriedly packing up a child of Aphrodite's suitcase that had exploded from being stuffed so tightly. We'll see how he feels about moving in with her in a few weeks. Actually, I'd give it a few days to be honest…

A limousine pulls up and a driver gets out. Sure that it's my ride, I internally cringe at my dad's opinion of an appropriate car to pick me up from summer camp. Why didn't he send a personal horse drawn carriage while he was at it? That probably would draw less attention.

"That's my ride." I jerk my head towards the limo, adding an eye-roll to show my annoyance. Nico laughs at my expression. "So just remember that I'm staying at my dad's for the next week or so, them I'm going to college. Hopefully we can see each other in between then."

"I think we'll be able to work something out."

I smile. "Bye Nico, I'll see you soon."

"Gods, I'll _finally_ have some peace and quiet," he jokes, avoiding the mushy goodbyes. I don't even have time to be annoyed, because he presses his lips to mine before I get the chance to come up with a snarky response.

The limousine driver collects my belongings and I clamber into the vehicle. The car starts to drive away, and I instinctively look one more time at the boy in the skull shirt and black pants, standing alone at the top of the hill, apart from everyone else. His weight is shifted on one foot and his long, overgrown hair is nearly covering his eyes, but I can see the ghost of a smile on his face. To anyone else it isn't obvious, but I'd spent enough time with him to know it's there. And the fact that it's me that puts it there makes me content to face whatever is coming.


	19. Lunch with the Parents

**A/N: Hi everyone! Sorry that this took a little longer than expected. I'm excited about this chapter so tell me what you think in the reviews!**

**In other news, please check out my other story "Bits and Pieces." It's in desperate need of attention. Advice to people uploading stories... don't do it on a Saturday afternoon :)**

**Also, please tell me I'm not the only one who thought Antonio in Despicable Me 2 was Nico. I swear I nearly died in the theater. My brain is totally wired for Percy Jackson...and yes I'm proud of it!**

**Unfortunately this will be the last update for a few weeks. No! I'm not abandoning this story. I'm going to Africa for a volunteer trip and I won't be able to update during that time. Sorry! I promise I WILL be back!**

**In the meantime: read, review, and enjoy!**

"Come in!" I call, peeking up from between the sea of clothes, books, and art supplies littering my floor to face the door to my room.

My dad enters, running a hand through his thinning, salt-and-pepper hair. He scans the room with a look of distaste until his eyes settle on my face. He takes in my appearance—messy bun, sweatpants, and a tank top—and gives a half-smile, half-grimace that's obviously forced.

"I've cleared up room in my schedule if you want to introduce me to the young man," he says dismissively.

I inwardly groan, questioning if telling my mom about Nico was a good decision. She was deliriously happy, bubbling in excitement over my new boyfriend, practically begging me to introduce her. Naturally, I knew she would tell my dad, but I didn't expect him to take up any interest in my personal life.

In fact, my dad has been in a not-so-great mood ever since I returned from camp, and I can't help but feel that my arrival has had something to do with it. If I were to ask, he would blame it on stress from work, but it's easy to see that I'm simply a disappointment to him— especially since I'm going to art school, something he doesn't wholly support.

"The _young man_ has a name," I spit back harshly, perhaps a little more spiteful than necessary. "His name is Nico. And I appreciate it, but I don't want this to be an inconvenience for you." I stand up from behind my bed and look him dead in the eyes.

He has the same eyes as I do, deep green.

"It's not an inconvenience, Rachel, please don't be silly," he says coldly.

This annoys me almost as much. He often belittles my wishes to make me seem immature and naïve.

I bite the inside of my cheek. "Good. Then how about lunch? And please Dad, let's avoid the limousines."

I can tell he's working up a sarcastic response, but thankfully his phone rings. He pulls it out of his pocket, wrinkles his nose, and turns towards his office, motioning to meet him downstairs around noon. I hear him say the typical 'Hello, you have reached Dare Enterprises' from down the hall.

My anger is soon replaced by excitement at the prospect of seeing Nico later today.

I quickly organize my belongings into mounds that make navigating through my room somewhat possible. Pulling out a token from my bag and using my sink to create a rainbow, I whisper, "Oh Iris, goddess of the Rainbow, please accept my offering."

Within a few seconds Nico is in front of me, looking so real that I practically reach my hand out to take his. He's sitting at a small desk in a dark room, flipping through a textbook unenthusiastically. He runs a frustrated hand through his hair and scribbles notes in dark pen across his notebook.

"Nico?" I call, reluctant to interrupt his study session. He jumps at the sound of my voice.

"Hades Rachel, you scared me," he says, but his mouth stretches into a smile, his white teeth shining through the shadows. I can see him looking me up and down, and I silently curse myself for messaging my gorgeous boyfriend when I look like a hobo. In fact, some of the finest hobos might look better than I do right now…

I blush self-consciously and skip to the point.

"Are you busy later?" I ask him.

"Of course I am… I'm Mr. Popularity," he replies, to which I roll my eyes. "What are you thinking?" he adds.

"Well then," I state grimly. "Here's what's happening."

* * *

Three hours later I'm waiting outside the restaurant _Triomphe_, impatiently tapping my foot against the sidewalk. My father is already on his phone, scrolling through emails, and my mother is anxiously awaiting Nico's arrival.

"He's late," my father states shortly, checking his watch.

"Honey, please calm down. It's only five minutes after noon, I'm sure he's on his way. Perhaps there's a lot of traffic," my mother replies firmly.

"I don't take excuses lightly."

Meanwhile, I'm silently cursing Nico to Tartarus. All he has to do is appear. It really shouldn't take that long to show up places when you're the freaking son of Hades—

"Erm, hello," a voice says behind me and I almost sigh in relief.

"Hi Nico!" I smile, turning around.

He flicks his hair out of his eyes—which is longer than usual because he managed to brush it—and walks over to my parents. He flashes them a tentative smile and shakes their hands. I can already see my father judging his mostly-black attire. His eyes settle on Nico's skull ring and he presses his lips into a straight line.

"Nice to meet you, Mr. and Mrs. Dare."

Nico then turns back to me and raises his eyebrows. Though he's trying really hard not to show it, I can see the nerves in his eyes. He comes to my side and places an arm around my waste. I notice he's shaking slightly wrap my arm around him as well, giving him a reassuring squeeze. He leans over and gives me a kiss on the cheek, causing my heart to flutter. _What a gentleman._ So far so good…

We walk into the restaurant and the host kindly shows us to our table. I sit next to Nico and across from my parents, my palms sweating due to my anxiety.

After an awkward few minutes of silence as we all looked through the menu, we finally order. Then the conversation begins.

"So, Nico," my father begins. "How did you meet Rachel?"

"Well, we've been friends for a while at camp and this year I noticed that I didn't really just like Rachel as a friend. I was lucky that she felt the same way."

"What do your parents do? It's truly too bad they couldn't join us today," my father continues and I wince at the question.

I feel Nico tense beside me. "My mother passed away when I was very little. And my father—" he pauses, tugging lightly on his collar, "works with dead people."

I swear I practically pass out. My father raises an eyebrow, leaving no room for sympathy. Nico shifts uncomfortably beside me and I clear my throat loudly, taking sudden interest in my shoes.

"As in, funeral services. Cremations, coffins, gravestones—he does it all!" Nico adds. "At least it was helpful when my sister and my mom died. You know, no extra expenses."

At this point I'm convinced the gods are out to get me and I silently rack my brains, trying to figure out which one I've offended this time…

"Your sister died too?" my mother interjects, her small hand covering her mouth in horror, her milky eyes watering around the edges. "I'm so sorry honey, that's just horrible. Let's change the subject, Walter, you can see how much this is upsetting him."

I glance over at Nico who looks extremely nervous at this point, but not particularly upset. However, I take advantage of the fact that they think he's emotional to move the conversation along.

"Yeah," I say. "Now that we've gotten that out of the way, let's move on."

My father looks disapprovingly at the two of us, but continues with the interrogation.

"How's college going for you?"

"Well, sir, I'm actually in my last year of high school. I'm graduating this year, but of course I plan to look into college. Education is important. Very important. Everyone should be educated."

For someone truly quite smart, my boyfriend is a complete idiot.

My father's eyes narrow. "How old are you?" he asks.

"Seventeen."

I mash my teeth together and pinch the bridge of my nose, not liking where this conversation is going.

"Rachel is already twenty-one," he states.

"I'm twenty," I interrupt. "And look our food is here!"

I almost hug the waiter as he approaches our table with the appetizers. The glory is short-lived when I realize that Nico is looking questioningly at his two forks, unsure which to use.

_Please dear gods, I haven't asked for much. Let Nico choose the right fork. _

He picks up the right one and my mother gives an audible sigh of relief.

The meal passes in relative silence, with the occasional clatter of Nico's utensils crashing clumsily against the plate. He gives me a frustrated grimace with I return with an encouraging smile, although I'm honestly not so sure how convincing it is.

"So you see, young man," my dad starts up again, intent on creating conversation, "I run a very strict business. Have you heard of Dare Enterprises?"

"Of course, sir," Nico acknowledges.

"Well, my business purchases land—massive amounts of land that is, let's say, not being used to its full potential. With this land, we set up shopping malls, office buildings, and huge skyscrapers to truly better this great city," he beams.

"How so?" Nico asks, genuinely interested.

"Well, you see, we're putting land to much better use— more productivity. Old parks that are hardly used are turned into hubs of activity and attention. For people just like yourself, in fact. Plus, it brings in lots of jobs for unemployed people."

"I suppose that's one way to look at it," Nico concedes.

"And the reason, I bring this up," my father continues, "is to show you how much I've achieved and how hard work is crucial. It's also to show you that I take the things that are important to me very seriously. Therefore, in my opinion, you dating my daughter is—"

A loud crash reverberates through the restaurant, and all the diners immediately turn their attention to the source of the noise, which appears to be coming from just outside. The sound is followed by an ear-piercing scream. Nico stands abruptly and reaches to his side, as if to grab his Stygian sword. Of course, he didn't bring it, and his hand curls into a fist. He stands protectively in front of me and my parents give him a stunned look.

Just what we need—a monster coming to attack us in the middle of lunch with my parents. Even though they won't be able to see it, I'm sure it will totally help them be more accepting of Nico.

Suddenly, we hear the sirens. A young woman runs into the restaurant, a young child in tow. She looks frantically around and then announces with tears streaming down her face, "A car just swerved into a truck. Everyone in the truck is fine, but… there's a family trapped in the car. It flipped over and I'm not sure anyone made it."

The little kid behind her tugs on his mother's shirt, staring wide-eyed at the sight of his parent crying. The woman picks up her son and sits him on her hip, coddling him under her chin.

Nico is still standing at the table, his eyes unfocused, trembling slightly. I stand up next to him and place my hand on his shoulder.

"Nico, it's not a monster or anything. An ambulance is on its way," I whisper softly, so that only he can hear.

"Rachel," he croaks, taking a staggered breath, "I can feel them dying. There's a baby. Her aura is flickering."

He looks forlornly at the table and my parents, and then looks down at my face. I can tell exactly what he's thinking.

"Go outside and help. Don't worry about us here." I nod my head. "And please be careful."

He gives me an apologetic look and dashes outside, murmuring something about internal bleeding. Through the window, I can see an ambulance approaching.

I sit back down and turn to face my parents, who both look shocked at the turn of events.

Eventually, my mother is the one to break the silence.

"Is… is Nico studying to become a doctor or something?" she asks, trying to reason why he just ran out of the restaurant to assist.

"Not really. Well, I don't know. But he knows some stuff that's useful in these types of situations…" I shrug, keeping my explanation vague.

My father still looks alarmed.

"Is he coming back?" he questions.

"How should I know? It's doubtful."

Surprisingly, my father actually looks thoughtful.

"A doctor," he muses. "Interesting…"

I can practically see the numbers flying through my father's head as he calculates how much a doctor makes.

A few moments later he gives me a satisfied grin.

"I'd like to meet this young man again," he grants.

"His name is _Nico_."

* * *

"I'm sorry if I ruined the lunch. Your parents didn't really seem to like me anyways," Nico sighs, rubbing my hand between his two palms.

"My mother was completely fine about it all. And as for my dad, I don't care what he thinks. All he's concerned with is money and his business so my life is just a distraction for him." I shrug dismissively.

"Well you know what's a distraction for me?" Nico says, a mischievous glint in his eyes.

"What's that?"

"Those hot dogs just look delicious." He points to a hot dog stand a few feet away. The owner dips his head at us and motions to the food.

I snort and Nico shakes his head.

"You weirdo," I laugh quietly.

"Summoning the dead isn't weird enough for you?"

"You're talking to _me_," I snicker. "And trust me, I can raise hell single-handedly."

"What an attractive quality," he says, kissing me square on the lips.


End file.
